Volatile oil constituents of the Ethiopian plant Salvia schimperi Benth.

The volatile oils of the flowers and leaves of two collections (1997 and 19 98) of the Ethiopian plant Salvia schimperi (Lamiaceae), have been examined separately by means of GC, chiral GC, GC-MS, GC-FTIR,H-1- and C-13-NMR. Th e main constituents of the essential oils of the flowers (1997) were identi fied as linalol (56.3%), linalyl acetate (15.9%), gamma -terpinene (3.5%), and alpha -terpineol (4.1%). The oils from the leaves (1997) were found to contain linalol (26.6%), linalyl acetate (8.0%), trans-caryophyllene (10.6% ) and aromadendrene (4.4%) as major components. Minor differences in the pe rcentage compositions of these compounds were noted for the last collection from the same place and season (1998). The oils from the leaves contained considerably more sesquiterpenes than the oils from the flowers. The enanti omeric compositions of some of the constituents are (R):(S)-linalol, 91:9; (R):(S)-linalyl acetate > 99:1; (R):(S)-alpha -terpineol, 79:21; and (R):(S )-terpinen-4-ol, 29:71. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.