Abstract

Calendula officinalis is a medicinal plant whose essential oils are used for various purposes. The oils were extracted by hydrodistillation from fresh leaves, dry leaves and fresh flowers of the herb yielding 0.06, 0.03 and 0.09%, respectively. The analysis of the oils by GC-MS revealed a total of 30, 21 and 24 compounds from the fresh leaves, dry leaves and the flowers in the same order. Sesquiterpenoids dominated the fresh leaves (59.5%) and flowers (26%), while the monoterpenes dominated the oil in the dry leaves (70.3%). T-muurolol (40.9%) predominated in the fresh leaf oil; a-thujene (19.2%) and d-cadinene (11.8%) were also present in high quantities. Whereas, 1,8-cineole (29.4%), g-terpenene (11.6%), d-cadinene (9.0%), b-pinene (6.9%) and a-thujene (6.3%) were the major components in the dry leaf oil. In the fresh flower oil, a-thujene (15.9%), d-cadinene (13.1%) and d-cadinene (10.9%) were the major components. The significance of the effect of drying on essential oil composition of this plant is discussed.

Key words: Calendula officinalis, essential oil, 1,8-cineole, T-muurolol.