Chemical composition and content of essential oil from cultivated bald cypress (Taxodium distichum L.)

Abstract

The essential oils extracted from the cone scale (CS), seed (SE), and thin branch with leaf (BL) of Taxodium distichum harvested during the winter season were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Up to 37 components were identified, accounting for more than 96% of the total oil volume in all samples. Monoterpenes (CS 93.4%, SE 85.2%, and BL 72.8%) represented the major constituents of the essential oils, followed by smaller quantities of sesquiterpenoids. Monoterpene hydrocarbons (MH) dominated, with limonene (CS 56.5%, SE 50.5%, and BL 43.8%) and α-pinene (CS 31.7%, SE 26.1%, and BL 16.2%) being the main constituents. Representative minor constituents in the CS oil are camphene (1.3%) and bornyl acetate (2.6%); in the SE oil, β-myrcene (1.7%) and bornyl acetate (5.1%) were found; and in BL essential oil, β-myrcene (3.1%) and bornyl acetate (6%). Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (CS 4.6%, SE 7.8%, and BL 12.9%) were the other major subclasses of components, with caryophyllene (CS 4.1%, SE 6.8%, and BL 9.3%) as the main constituent. The only oxygen-containing sesquiterpene found was caryophyllene oxide (CS 1.5%, SE 5.5%, and BL 8.3%). The compounds could be of great interest in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications.