Volatiles of the Mastic Tree—Pistacia lentiscusL.

The essential oils of fresh leaves and semi-ripe fruits of Pistacia lentiscus L., the evergreen shrubby tree widely distributed on the mountains of Galilee, Gilead, Carmel and Judea were investigated by capillary GC/MS. Leaf and fruit oils were found to be similar in composition. The leaf oil was found to be rich in α-terpineol (13.02%), ethyl hexadecanoate (10.36%), ethyl linolenate (11.30%) and some unidentified sesquiterpene alcohols (15.90%), while the fruit oil was found to be rich in terpinen-4-ol (13.07%), α-terpineol (13.62%) and some unidentified sesquiterpene alcohols (13.20%). The leaf and fruit oils differ substantially from Mastic oils of other Mediterranean origins primarily by their very low monoterpene content.