Enantiomeric composition of the chiral constituents in essential oils. Part 1: Monoterpene hydrocarbons

Abstract Using a dual column gas chromatograph equipped with two capillary columns coated with heptakis(6‐O‐methyl‐2,3‐di‐O‐pentyl)‐β‐cyclodextrin (6‐me‐2,3‐pe‐β‐CD) and octakis(6‐O‐methyl‐2,3‐di‐O‐pentyl)‐γ‐cyclodextrin (6‐me‐2,3‐pe‐γ‐CD), respectively, all important olefinic monoterpene hydrocarbons occurring in essential oils, including α‐thujene, α‐ and β‐pinene, camphene, sabinene, α‐ and β‐phellandrene, Δ‐3‐carene and limonene can be resolved into enantiomers. With the chromatographic system described the characteristic enantiomeric composition of these monoterpene hydrocarbons in essential oils can be determined.