Essential oil composition and variability of Hypericum perforatum from wild populations of northern Turkey.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT Hypericum perforatum L. (Guttiferae) contains many bioactive secondary metabolites including hypericins, hyperforins, and essential oil. OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to determine the variation in composition of essential oil in H. perforatum accessions from Turkey. MATERIAL AND METHODS: At full flowering, aerial parts of 30 plants were collected from 10 sites of northern Turkey and assayed for essential oil components by GC-FID and GC-MS. RESULTS: The chemical analysis revealed that the main constituents of the all analyzed samples were hydrocarbon and oxygenated sesquiterpenes such as beta-caryophyllene (4.08-5.93%), gamma-muurolene (5.00-9.56%), beta-selinene (5.08-19.63%), alpha-selinene (4.12-10.42%), d-cadinene (3.02-4.94%), spathulenol (2.34-5.14%), and caryophyllene oxide (6.01-12.18%). Monoterpenes, both hydrocarbon and oxygenated, were represented by scarce amounts of alpha- and beta-pinene, myrcene, linalool, cis- and trans-linalool oxide, and alpha-terpineol. Principal component analysis was also carried out and, according to the results, the first nine principal components were found to represent 100% of the observed variation. DISCUSSION: The chemical variation among the populations is discussed as the possible result of different genetic and environmental factors. CONCLUSIONS: The wild populations examined here are potentially important sources for breeding and improvement of the cultivated varieties.