Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » Natural Products Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #143356
Title: ESSENTIAL OIL COMPOSITION OF THREE ITALIAN SPECIES OF EPHEDRA

Author
item Kobaisy, Mozaina
item Tellez, Mario
item KHAN, IKHLAS - UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
item SCHANEBERG, BRIAN - UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

Submitted to: Journal of Essential Oil Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/3/2003
Publication Date: 9/13/2005
Citation: Kobaisy, M.M., Tellez, M.R., Khan, I.A., Schaneberg, B.T. 2005. Essential oil composition of three italian species of ephedra. Journal of Essential Oil Research. 17:542-546.

Interpretive Summary: Essential oils are known to have activities that are beneficial to agriculture. We have identified Eighty-nine compounds in the fraction commonly referred to as the essential oil of the plant Ephedra major. n-heptane (13.0 %), (E)-2-hexenal (6.1 %), eugenol (4.0 %), alpha-terpineol (3.5 %), methyl linoleate (3.1 %), n-nonane (3.0 %), carvacrol (2.7 %), and 3-p-menthene (2.1 %) were the major components of the steam distilled essential oil.

Technical Abstract: The essential oil from the aerial parts of Ephedra major Host was analyzed by GC-MS. Eighty-nine compounds were identified, representing 82.5% of the total components detected. The main constituents of the essential oil were n-heptane (13.0 %), (E)-2-hexenal (6.1 %), eugenol (4.0 %), alpha-terpineol (3.5 %), methyl linoleate (3.1 %), n-nonane (3.0 %), carvacrol (2.7 %), and 3-p-menthene (2.1 %). The essential oil constituents of E. major were significantly different from those found in the literature on E. sinica.