Variability of chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oils between Myrtus communis var. Leucocarpa DC and var. Melanocarpa DC. (15th April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Petretto, Giacomo Luigi; Maldini, Mariateresa; Addis, Roberta; Chessa, Mario; Foddai, Marzia; Rourke, Jonathan P.; Pintore, Giorgio
• Is Part Of: Food chemistry. Volume 197:Part A(2016)
• Page Start: 124
• Page End: 131
• Publication Date: 2016-04-15
• Subjects: White berries -- Myrtenyl acetate -- Wild plants -- Cultivated plants -- PCA; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food -- Composition -- Periodicals; 664
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.10.056
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-8146

Abstract

Highlights: A chemical study on sixteen individual plants of M. communis L. was carried out. Differences in quali-quantitative content were observed between the samples. M. communis var. leucocarpa DC essential oil is characterized by myrtenil acetate. PCA proved to be a powerful tool to elaborate essential oils data. Abstract: Essential oils (EOs) from several individuals of Myrtus communis L. ( M. communis ) growing in different habitats in Sardinia have been studied. The analyses were focused on four groups of samples, namely cultivated and wild M. communis var. melanocarpa DC, characterized by red/purple berries, and cultivated and wild M. communis var. leucocarpa DC, characterized by white berries. Qualitative and quantitative analyses demonstrated different EO fingerprints among the studied samples: cultivated and wild leucocarpa variety differs mainly from the melanocarpa variety by a high amount of myrtenyl acetate (>200 mg/mL and 0.4 mg/mL in leucocarpa and melanocarpa varieties respectively). Conversely, the wild group is characterized by a higher amount, compared with the cultivated species, of linalool (about 110 mg/mL and 20 mg/mL respectively), linalyl acetate (about 24 mg/mL and about 6 mg/mL respectively) whereas EOs of the cultivated plants were rich in pinocarveol- cis compared with wild plants (about 2 mg/mL and about 0.5 mg/mL respectively). Principal component analysis applied to the chromatographic data confirm a differentiation and classification of EOs from the four groups of M. communis plants. Finally, antioxidant activity of the studied EOs shows differences between the various categories of samples.