Essential Oil Analysis of Balsam FirAbies balsamea(L.) Mill.

Abstract

The composition of the essential oils of 29 individual trees of Abies balsamea (L.) Mill, were investigated by a combination of retention times (GC with capillary columns) and GC/MS. The oils were obtained by steam distillation from various parts of plants harvested north of Forestville, Quebec. A total of 209 peaks were detected by chromatography of which a maximum of 106 peaks were recorded for one sample. The composition of these oils is similar to that previously published. Monoterpenes are the most important products (>95% of the total). β-Pinene and δ-3-carene are the main components (38% and 12%, respectively). Oxygenated compounds such as bornyl acetate (9%), α- and β-terpineol (1.5%) and thymol (0.45%) were also observed in smaller amounts. From the individual composition of these oils, it is concluded that all the members may be divided into two different groups (chemotypes). The first group is rich in δ-3-carene (18.7%, σ = 5.3), while the second group contains only a small percentage of this monoterpene (0.72%, σ = 0.50). The same kind of division was observed with thymol. The majority of the individual trees have a low content of this oxygenated terpene (balsamea that are both rich and poor in δ-3-carene.