Variation in the chemical composition of the essential oils of different organs of domesticated Lippia multiflora Moldenke

The essential oils from the different organs of wild and domesticated Lippia multiflora Moldenke, analysed by GPC-FID and GPC-MS, were rich in monoterpenes. These made up 95.0, 94.0, 82.5 and 61.0% of oils from leaves, flowers, stems and roots, respectively, with a predominance of aromatic monoterpenes: p-cymene, thymol, carvacrol and their acetates together made up 44.0 - 74.0% of the oils, along with b-caryophyllene and its oxide (3.0 - 8.4%). Oils from roots differed from those of flowers, leaves and stems by a higher proportion of b-caryophyllene and its oxide (16.0%), and the absence of p-cymene g-terpinene represented respectively, 6.3 - 18.0 and 0.7 - 11.4% of the oils from the other organs. (Z)-β-Ocimene, identified in the oils from flowers (nearly 10%) was absent from oils of leaves, stems and roots. Oils of stems and roots contained very small amounts of hexadecanoïc acid, b-eudesmol, isocaryophyllene and phytol, none of which had previously been reported in oils from the Congo.Key words: Lippia multiflora Moldenke, organs, essential oil, chemical composition