Essential oil composition of eight Hypericum species (Hypericaceae) from Iran: Part II.

The genus Hypericum is one of the most important medicinal plants that contain 17 species in Iran, three of them are endemics. This paper reports the essential oil composition of eight Hypericum species from Iran. The essential oil analysis of a number of the studied plants has already been reported but their report from Iran may be valuable for scientists. Samples collected from different places between June and August 2010. The composition of the essential oils from Hypericum was investigated on the flower head. Essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation method and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The essential oil yield and composition in H. androsaemum L.: oil yields (0.17%) and major components were longifolene 19.2%, b-gurjunene 16%, and g-gurjunene 8.4%, in H. apricum kar. & kir. oil yields (0.50%), and major components were cis-piperitol acetate 24.3%, p-cymenene 21% a-pinene 8.3%; in H. armenum Jaub. & Spach oil yields (0.20%) and major components were g-cadinene 30.6%, longifolene 10.4%, and E-nerolidol 7.4%; in H. asperulum Jaub. & Spach oil yields (0.05%), and major components were a-muurolol 17.6%, cis-sesquisabienen hydrate 12.5%, and germacrene B 9.8%; in H. hirsutum L. oil yields (0.05%), and major components were germacrene B 29.2%, citronellyl propanoate 7.9%, and g-gurjunene 7.5%; in H.linarioides Bosse oil yields (0.15%), and major components were (E, E)-farnesyl acetate 16.5%, cis-cadinene ether 12.7%, and 1-tridecene 5.7%; and in H. tetrapterum Fries oil yields (0.08%), and major components were trans-linalool oxide 22.3%, p-cymenene 6.2% and (E, E)-farnesyl acetate 6%, and in H. vermiculare Boiss. & Hausskn. oil yields (1.74%), and major components were a-pinene 61%, myrcyne 6% and E-b-farnesene 5.3%.