Essential oils from Azorean Laurus azorica

The essential oils isolated from leaves of ten and from unripe berries of e ight populations of Laurus azorica (Seub.) France, collected on five island s of the Azorean archipelago, were analysed by GC and GC-MS. All oil sample s were dominated by their monoterpene fraction (60-94%), alpha -pinene (15- 37%) and 1,8-cineole (12-31%) being the main components of the leaf oils, w hile trans-beta -ocimene (27-45%) and alpha -pinene (12-22%) were the main components of the oils from the berries. The sesquiterpene fractions of the oils ranged from 3 to 17% and the main components were beta -caryophyllene (traces - 8%) and beta -elemene (traces - 3%) both in the leaf and berry o ils. Some phenylpropanoid components were also present, in total amounting to 17%, trans-cinnamyl acetate (215% of the leaf oils) being the main compo nent of this fraction. Cluster analysis of the enantiomeric composition of alpha- and beta -pinene in the oils from the leaves clearly showed two grou ps, one constituted by the two populations growing on the island S. Jorge, and the other constituted by the remaining populations. (C) 2001 Elsevier S cience Ltd. All rights reserved.