Volatile constituents of Glechoma hirsute Waldst. & Kit. and G. hederacea L. (Lamiaceae)

Abstract

The essential oils of two Glechoma species from Serbia have been analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Eighty eight and two hundred thirty eight constituents identified accounted for 90.6 and 86.6% of the total oils of G. hirsuta Waldst. & Kit. and G. hederacea L., respectively. In both oils the dominant constituent class was the terpenoid one, 75.7% in G. hirsuta and 47.4% in G. hederacea. 1,8-Cineole (42.6%) and spathulenol (7.4%) were the main constituents of G. hirsuta oil while palmitic (13.3%) and linoleic acids (9.3%) alongside with germacrene D (7.3%) were the major ones of G. hederacea oil. The relative percentage of the sesquiterpene fraction (19.5%) and fatty acid derived compounds (7.6%) distinguished nicely G. hirsuta from G. hederacea. Additionally, oxygenated sesquiterpenes (16.9%) dominated the oil of G. hirsuta, while the reversed situation was noted for G. hederacea oil (the hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes amounted to only 2.6%). The results obtained provide a rationale for the parallel ethnopharmacological usage of G. hirsuta and G. hederacea. This is the first report on the composition of G. hirsuta oil.

KEY WORDS: Glechoma hirsuta Waldst. & Kit., Glechoma hederacea L., Lamiaceae, Essential oil composition, 1,8-Cineole, Spathulenol, Germacrene D, Linoleic acid, Palmitic acid, Ethnopharmacological use

Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2010, 24(1), 67-76.