Essential oil composition of Cachrys libanotis growing in Algeria (Apiaceae)

Abstract : Cachrys libanotis is an Apiaceae widely distributed around the Mediterranean basin. This species has been described for its phototoxicity due to several furocoumarines [2]. We report here a study of the chemical composition of the essential oil of C. libanotis, collected in the east part of Algeria. The aerial parts of the plant have been hydrodistillated and the oil has been studied by GC-MS and GC-FID. The identification of the components has been performed by comparison of the mass spectral data with those described in mass spectral libraries and by determination of the retention indices [3, 4]. The composition is dominated by non oxygenated monoterpenes (28.4%) and by non oxygenated sesquiterpenes (34.8%). Thirty eight compounds have been identified corresponding to 81.1% of the total. The major compounds were Germacrene (18.0%), γ-terpinene (6.45%), p-cymene (5.5%), caryophyllene oxide (5.1%) and limonene (5%)