COMPARATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF ESSENTIAL OILS FROM LAVENDER OF DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIC ORIGINS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine and analyse the chemical composition of essential oils of dry lavender flowers from the area of Budva and Rovinj and to compare to the results obtained in the commercially available sample in Montenegro. Based on gas chromatography (GC and GC/MS) analysis approximately 100 components were identified in the analysed samples, which makes 96.95% to 99.74% of the components present in essential oils. The analysis has shown that oxygenated monoterpenes were the dominant group of compounds. The significant difference in oxygenated monoterpene content between the samples from the area of Budva (71.74%) and Rovinj (91.79%) and the commercially available sample (87.63%) was noted. The most abundant oxygenated monoterpenes in the lavender oil sample from Budva region were linalool and borneol (27.32% and 20.24% respectively); the sample from Rovinj contained linalool and camphor (47.67% and 11.82% respectively) and commercial sample camphor and linalool (21.23% and 19.92% respectively). Monoterpene hydrocarbons were present in a significantly lower percentage in the commercial sample (2.64%) and in a sample from Rovinj (3.57%), while the high content occurred in the sample from the climate of Montenegrin seaside (Budva) (23.74%) with the dominant constituent β-phellandrene (19.1%). The oxygenated sesquiterpenes were slightly less present in the sample from Rovinj (1.14%) and Budva (1.88%), and almost twice as much present in the commercial sample (4.37%) represented with caryophyllene oxide as the dominant ingredient in all three samples; the samples from Rovinj, Budva and commercial ones contained 0.36%, 0.43% and 2.78% respectively. Hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes were insignificantly present in the analysed samples. Hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes were insignificantly presented in the commercial sample (0.83%); the sample from Budva (1.38%) and in a sample from Rovinj (1.66%). As the dominant constituent was sesquisabinen (1.0%) in the sample from Budva and trans-(E)-caryophyllene in a sample from Rovinj (0.58%) and commercial sample (0.22%).