Biochemical composition of essential oil of Corsican Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don, introduced and cultivated in South Bulgaria

Svetoslava Terzieva, Maria Gerdzhikova, Milena Tzanova, Rumyana Prodanova, Vasil Atanasov, Neli Grozeva

Abstract: This study provided GC-FID and GC-MS analysis of the volatile constituents of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don, introduced from Corsica (France), cultivated in South Bulgaria, harvested in different phenological stages - floral budding period and flowering period, and compared its quality to the quality of the species of native origin. Similarities in qualitative, but with differences in quantitative composition of their essential oils were indicated, because of the different environmental conditions. 41 components were identified, representing 89.25-95.63% of the total essential oil composition. In the essential oil of H. italicum, harvested in the floral budding period, the content of sesquiterpenes and oxygenated monoterpens were higher. The essential oil had a good, balanced content of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and their oxidized derivatives, like α- and γ-curcumene, neryl acetate, α-pinene, α-copaene, limonene, cis- and trans-α-bergamotene, β-caryophyllene, eudesm-5-en-11-ol and selina-4,11-diene. Cultivating ability of these plant species opens up new opportunities for the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Keywords: essential oil; GC-FID; GC-MS; Helichrysum italicum; neryl acetate

Date published: 2019-01-15