Chemical variability of peel and leaf oils of mandarins

Peel and leaf oils of 35 mandarin cultivars, belonging to five different species, were obtained from fruits and leaves collected on mandarin-trees kept at the same pedoclimatic and cultural conditions. Their chemical composition was investigated by capillary GC, GC–MS and 13C-NMR and the results were submitted to a statistical analysis. Two major chemotypes, limonene and limonene/γ-terpinene, were distinguished for peel oils, while five chemotypes, linalool, sabinene/linalool, β-pinene/linalool, γ-terpinene and methyl N-methylanthranilate, were observed for leaf oils. The results were compared with those already reported by our groups. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.