Chemical composition of essential oil from plants of abandoned mining site of Elba island

Abstract

<p>The essential oil composition of three spontaneous species growing in an abandoned mining of Elba island was analyzed by GC–MS. A total of 194 compounds were identified representing 73.7–100% of the whole oil composition. The essential oils of <i>Cistus salvifolius</i> and <i>Dittrichia viscosa</i> from this site showed different profiles in comparison with those from not polluted area, where oxygenated sesquiterpenes were the main class. Volatiles from <i>D. viscosa</i> growing in ex-mining area presented 10-epi-γ-eudesmol and α-eudesmol as main compounds while β-caryophyllene and limonene were the main ones in not polluted area. Ambroxide and ambrial were the most important compounds in the essential oil from <i>C. salvifolius</i> harvested in polluted area while nonanal and tridecanal were the main compounds in control samples. Oxygenated monoterpenes were the most abundant class from both <i>Lavandula stoechas</i> samples, with fenchone and camphor as main compounds.</p