Aromatic profiling of wild and rare species growing in Turkey: Hypericum aviculariifolium Jaub. and Spach subsp. depilatum (Freyn and Bornm.) Robson var. depilatum and Hypericum pruinatum Boiss. and Bal.

ABSTRACT

The volatile constituents of the rare species of Hypericum, namely Hypericum pruinatum (as one population) and Hypericum aviculariifolium subp. depilatum var. depilatum (endemic, as two populations namely 'Gümüs' and 'Yeniköy') growing wild in the mountainous parts of Northern Turkey were studied for the first time. The essential oils (EOs) were extracted by hydrodistillation of the air-dried aerial parts and analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. A total of 56, 49 and 50 EO components representing 98.2%, 96.9% and 99.4% of the total composition were identified respectively from one population for H. pruinatum and two populations for Hypericum aviculariifolium subp. depilatum var. depilatum. GC-MS profiles showed significant compositional variations not only between the two Turkish species, but also between the two populations of the same species highlighting the importance of genetic factors affecting secondary metabolite profile.