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Abstract
The essential oils of Tagetes erecta L. leaves and flowers were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Forty-four constituents representing 94.1% of the leaf oil and 45 constituents of the flower oil accounting for 94.0% were identified. The major constituents of the leaf oil were limonene (7.6%), terpinolene (1.1.2%), (Z)-myroxide (4.2%), piperitone (52.4%) and piperitenone (5.0%). The oil of the flowers contained limonene (6.9%), terpinolene (4.7%), (Z)-myroxide (7.9%), piperitone (28.5%), piperitenone (10.9%), piperitenone oxide (7.2%) and β-caryophyllene (7.0%) as the major constituents.
Key Word Index
Tagetes erecta, Asteraceae, essential oil composition, terpinolene, piperitone, piperitenone.
Introduction
Tagetes erecta L. (syn. T. major Gaertn.) is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant throughout the temperate regions of the world. In India, the plant is found in several places in the plains. It is weakly aromatic and the leaves and flowers contain an essential oil. The composition of the oil of T. erecta was tlic subject of several investigations (1-9). Very early investigation of the oil of the flowering plants reported Iimonene, ocimene, Iinalyl acetate, Iinalool and nominal as the major constituents (1). Later investigations (2,3) on the oil reported the isolation of limonene, β-ocimene, β-phellandrene, Iinalool and linalyl acetate. In addition, 1,8-cineole, tagetone, α- and β-pinene and menthol were also reported as minor constituents. The oil of T. erecta from Hungary was found to contain limonene, β-ocimene, piperitone and ß-caryophyllene as the major constituents (5,6). The oil of T. erecta leaves from China was found to contain mostly terpinones, whereas the flower absolute contained γ- and δ-cadinene and ciscaryophyllene as the major constituents (7). Subsequently, the oil of T. erecta from Brazil was reported to contain terpinolene, (E)-β-ocimene, limonene, piperitone, thymol, carvacrol, indole, β-caryophyllene and nerolidol in amounts more than 2% (8). Recently Leng et al. investigated the composition of the volatile flower oil of yellow T. erecta grown in Yanbian region in China and found that the oil had the main constituents limonene, terpinolene, β-cubebene and β-caryophyllcne (9). We have investigated the oil of the leaves and flowers of T. erecta grown in the North Indian plains at Lucknow. The composition of these oils is reported in this paper.
Experimental
Fresh leaves and flowers of T. erecta plants growing in the CIMAP experimental farm were...