Chemical composition and variation of essential oil of wild Sardinian Helichrysum italicum G. don ssp. Microphyllum (Willd) Nym. from vegetative period to post blooming time

The essential oils obtained by water distillation from the aerial parts of Helichrysum italicum G. Don subsp. microphyllum (Willd.) Nym. were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Three different populations growing at different elevations and under different weather conditions were studied from their vegetative period to post-blooming time. Forty-eight constituents accounting for between 96.5% and 83.0% of total oils have been identified and quantified. Among the identified constituents those present in the highest percentage were neryl acetate (17.6-35.6%), nerol (3.7-14.4%) and eudesmen-5-en-11-ol (6.4-23.5%). Among them, the neryl acetal percentage decreased when 5-eudesmen-11-ol percentage increased, and limonene reached 7% relative composition. The main fraction of the oil consisted of oxygenated compounds present in higher concentrations in June. © 2010 Allured Business Media.