Comparative qualitative and quantitative analysis of common myrtle and eucalyptus twiggy essential oils

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Abstract

Introduction. In the family Myrtaceae (Myrtaceae L.) there are more than 100 genera and more than 3000 representatives. Insufficiency of data on diagnostics of raw materials of common myrtle and closely related species is an actual problem of modern pharmacognosy.

The aim of the present study is a comparative qualitative and quantitative analysis of essential oil components of leaves of common myrtle, closely related to Myrtle species – Eucalyptus twiggy of family Myrtaceae, as well as industrial samples of essential oils of Myrtle and Eucalyptus by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Material and methods. Leaves of common myrtle harvested in the Republic of Crimea (Russia) and Relizane province (Algeria) were used as objects of research. Also as objects of comparison were used leaves of eucalyptus twiggy, harvested in Abkhazia, and industrial samples of common myrtle and eucalyptus twiggy essential oils. Samples of essential oil were obtained from leaves of myrtle and eucalyptus. Essential oil samples were obtained from myrtle and eucalyptus leaves and the qualitative and quantitative composition of their components was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Results and discussion. Essential oils samples of Myrtaceae representatives leaves are characterised by a high content of mono- and bicyclic monoterpenes, but they differ significantly in dominant components depending on the place of growth. In a sample of essential oil from the leaves of Crimean Myrtle, 1,8-cineol (eucalyptol) dominates, and in a sample from the leaves of Algerian Myrtle, α-pinene dominates.

In the study, it was found that some identified components of the common myrtle essential oil, such as myrtenyl acetate, humulene, linalyl acetate, β-myrcene and their derivatives, were absent in the eucalyptus twiggy essential oil, which may serve as a diagnostic sign for Myrtus species. On the contrary, the presence of globulol and its derivatives in the component composition of essential oil was found only in samples of Eucalyptus viminalis L. species and are not determined in the common myrtle essential oil. Industrial samples of essential oils are characterised by the absence of such important components of Myrtle essential oil as α-pinene, globulol, myrtenyl acetate, geraniol, linalool, terpinen-4-ol, humulene and its derivatives.

Conclusion. Species specificity of the common myrtle can be confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry on diagnostically significant components of the common myrtle essential oil, which are absent in the essential oil of the species closely related to myrtle – еucalyptus twig, which can be used in the preparation of the draft pharmacopoeial article on a new type of medicinal plant raw material – ‘Common myrtle leaves’.

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About the authors

Vera Dmitrieva Maslova

Samara State Medical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: vera_maslova@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0006-3288-6346

Postgraduate Student, Department of Pharmacognosy with botany and the basics of phytotherapy

Russian Federation, Chapaevskaya ul., 89, Samara, 443099

Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kurkin

Samara State Medical University

Email: v.a.kurkin@samsmu.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7513-9352

Head of the Department of Pharmacognosy with Botany and the Basics of Phytotherapy, Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor

Russian Federation, Chapaevskaya ul., 89, Samara, 443099

Tatyana Konstantinovna Ryazanova

Samara State Medical University

Email: t.k.ryazanova@samsmu.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4581-8610

Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Management and Economics, Director of the Research and Education Centre «Pharmacy», Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Russian Federation, Chapaevskaya ul., 89, Samara, 443099

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2. Fig. 1. Chromatogram of essential oil from common myrtle leaves (Russia) Note. 1 – α-pinene; 3 – myrtenyl acetate; 4 – D-limonene; 5 – β-myrcene; 6 – linalyl acetate.

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3. Fig. 2. Chromatogram of essential oil from common myrtle leaves (Algeria) Note. 1 – 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol); 2 – geranyl acetate; 3 – α-terpineol; 4 – linalool; 5 – geraniol; 6 – α-pinene.

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4. Fig. 3. Structural formula of 1,8-cineol (eucalyptol)

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5. Fig. 4. Structural formula of α-pinene

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