Volatile constituents of a medicinal plant of Iran, echium amoenum Fisch. and C. A. Mey.

ABSTRACT

Echium amoenum Fisch. and C.A. Mey. [Boraginaceae] is an endemic Iranian plant, that its dry violet-blue petals has long been used in traditional medicine of Iran. The chemical composition of the volatile fraction of the dried petals of this plant which was isolated by steam distillation extraction with pentane [in yield of 0.05%] was examined by GC-MS. The constituents were identified by their mass spectra and Kovats' indices. The major components except aliphatic alkanes which belong to sesquiterpenes were sigma -cadinene [24.25%], viridiflorol [4.9%], alpha -muurolene [4.52%], ledene [3.8%], alpha -calacorene [3.04%], and