Chemical composition of essential oils from needles, branches and cones of Pinus pinea, P-halepensis, P-pinaster and P. nigra from central Italy

The composition of the essential oils from the needles, branches and female cones of four species of Pinaceae, Pinus pinea, P. halepensis, P. pinaster and P. nigra, has been analysed and comparative chemical evaluations were obtained: In P. pinea the major compound of the essential oils of all the three plant parts is limonene (5&9-62.5%), in P. halepensis alpha-pinene (18.1%-53.6%) and myrcene (13.7-42.1%), in P. pinaster alpha-pinene (24.7-.40.4%) and beta-pinene (21.7-29.2%), and in P. nigra alpha-pinene (28.4-61.7%). Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.