The essential oils of Rhus Coriaria L. (Sumac)

Abstract

The essential oils obtained from the leaf, fruit pericarp and branch/bark of Rhus coriaria L. by hydrodistillation were examined by GC and GC/MS. Sixty-three constituents in the branch/bark oil, sixty-three constituents in the leaf oil and eighty-five constituents in the fruit pericarp oil were identified. The predominant compounds in the pericarp oil were limonene (0.17–9.49%), nonanal (10.77–13.09%) and (Z)-2-decenal (9.90–42.35%), while major components of the leaf oil were ß-caryophyllene (0.33–16.95%) and a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon tentatively identified as patchoulane (3.08–23.87%). The major constituents of the branch/bark oil were ß-caryophyllene (12.35–21.91%) and cembrene (10.71–26.50%). The composition of oils from two different phytogeographic regions showed variations