Intraspecific Variation of Tanacetum larvatum Essential Oil

Abstract

The essential oil from aerial parts of Tanacetum larvatum (Gris.) Kanitz, an endemic perennial herb collected at three various natural habitats in Montenegro (Planinica [Sample a], Visitor [Sample b] and Sinjajevina [Sample c]), were analyzed using GC and GC/MS. Sixty-four components were identified, representing 83.1%, 96.6% and 89.4% of the total oils content in the Samples a, b and c, respectively. The major constituent in Samples a and b, was oxygenated monoterpene, trans-sabinyl acetate (38.1% and 55.8% respectively). Monoterpene hydrocarbons, beta-pinene (13.5%) and santolinatriene (30.6%), were found to be the dominant components in Sample c. The toxic trans-sabinyl acetate was present only in traces in this sample. trans-Chrysanthenyl acetate, as one of major components in feverfew essential oil, has not been previously identified in the investigated essential oils.