Essential oils from Azorean Laurus azorica

The essential oils isolated from leaves of ten and from unripe berries of eight populations of Laurus azorica (Seub.) France, collected on five islands of the Azorean archipelago, were analysed by GC and GC-MS. All oil samples were dominated by their monoterpene fraction (60-94%), alpha -pinene (15-37%) and 1,8-cineole (12-31%) being the main components of the leaf oils, while trans-beta -ocimene (27-45%) and alpha -pinene (12-22%) were the main components of the oils from the berries. The sesquiterpene fractions of the oils ranged from 3 to 17% and the main components were beta -caryophyllene (traces - 8%) and beta -elemene (traces - 3%) both in the leaf and berry oils. Some phenylpropanoid components were also present, in total amounting to 17%, trans-cinnamyl acetate (215% of the leaf oils) being the main component of this fraction. Cluster analysis of the enantiomeric composition of alpha- and beta -pinene in the oils from the leaves clearly showed two groups, one constituted by the two populations growing on the island S. Jorge, and the other constituted by the remaining populations. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.