Essential oil composition of myrtle (Myrtus communis) leaves

Nine cultivars of myrtle (Myrtus communis) were analyzed for their leaf essential oil yield and composition during two seasons. The oil yield composition on leaf dry weight basis varied with the year of collection and the season ranging from 0.6 to 10.7 g·kg-1 in the different cultivars. The oils were analyzed by GC-MS for compound identification and by GC for quantitative determinations by comparison with authentic standards. The main components of the essential oils were α-pinene (366.8 to 816.8 g·kg-1); limonene (42.8 to 468.8 g·kg-1), 1,8-cineole (32.0 to 230.6 g·kg-1), linalool (0.8 to 110.3 g·kg-1), geranyl-acetate (12.4 to 99.2 g·kg-1). Other minor components were α-terpineol (1.6 to 44.4 g·kg-1), terpinolene isomer 1 (0.0 to 42.6 g·kg-1), linalyl-acetate (0.0 to 36.3 g·kg-1), α-humulene (0.0 to 19.6 g·kg-1), terpinolene-isomer 2 (0.0 to 14.9 g·kg-1), p-cymene (0.0 to 13.0 g·kg-1) and geraniol (0.0 to 12.4 g·kg-1). The total content of the other minor components was less than 10 g·kg-1. All cultivars were suitable for hydro-alcoholic infusion production and, in spite of the minor oil yield, the leaves harvested in winter showed an essential oil composition quite similar to those from spring.