Essential oil composition of smyrnium olusatrum.

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of green and ripe fruits, herb, flowers and roots of Smyrnium olusatrum (alexanders), have been analyzed by means of GC, GC-MS, and NMR spectroscopic methods. Roots, herb and flowers are characterized by a high content of oxygenated sesquiterpenoids, most of them furanosesquiterpenoids, while green and ripe fruits are dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons with beta-phellandrene and alpha-pinene as major constituents. The furanosesquiterpenoids, comprising a high proportion of furanodiene and isofuranogermacrene, are present in all parts of the plant. In roots and herbs furanoeremophil-1-one is the second important furanosesquiterpenoid, whereas 1beta-acetoxyfurano-4(15)-eudesmene was detected as a prominent component in green and ripe fruits. Additionally a new furanoeudesmane derivative has been isolated from the fruits. With the aid of (13)C, (1)H and 2D NMR the structure has been established as furano-4(15)-eudesmen-1-one.