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Minerva Biotecnologica 2009 December;21(4):201-6

Copyright © 2010 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Essential oils components in the leaves of Cedrus libani and Cedrus deodora

Saab A. ¹, Harb F. ², Koenig W. A. ³

¹ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy 2 Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences II, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon 3 Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Hamburg Hamburg, Germany

There are different kinds of cedar, three of them naturally present in the Mediterranean Sea region: Cedrus libani, in Lebanon, Syria and Turky, Cedrus atlantica in Algeria and Morocco, Cedrus deodara in Himalaya Mountains and Cedrus brevifolia in Cyprus Island. The aim of this paper was to compare Lebanon’s cedar with other kinds of Cedar’s species. The essential oils, obtained by hydrodistillation from leaves of Cedrus libani and Cedrus deodara, were analyzed by GC/MS system. Forty-nine components were identified. The experimental data demonstrated that Germacrene D and b-caryophyllene are the main components in Cedrus libani, while benzaldehyde, myrcene and b-caryophylene are the principal components of Cedrus deodara essential oil.