Composition and chemical polymorphism of the essential oils from Piper lanceaefolium

Essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from leaves and spikes of Pipe r lanceaefolium H.B.K, of Costa Rica were analysed by GC-FID, GC-MS and C-1 3-NMR methods. Main constituents found in the oil from leaves were sesquite rpene hydrocarbons - especially beta -caryophyllene and germacrene D - and phenylpropanoids, of which elemicin and parsley apiol were the major ones. The volatile oil from spikes showed monoterpene hydrocarbons, namely -alpha and beta -pinene, and the same phenylpropanoids as in the oil from leaves as the major constituents. Results obtained in the analysis by GC-FID and G C-MS of the essential oils from individual plants of different geographic o rigin were submitted to chemometric cluster analysis and principal componen t analysis, showing the presence of three different types of oils (i) parsl ey apiol/elemicin, (ii) elemicin/parsley, apiol/dill apiol, and (iii) parsl ey apiol/dill apiol. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.