Background
Commiphora gileadensis (Hebrew: apharsemon) has been used since Biblical times to treat various ailments, and is used today in the traditional medicine of some Middle Eastern cultures.
Conclusions
The chemical compositions of the C. gileadensis essential oils from Israel are markedly different from previously reported samples, which were rich in sesquiterpenoids. Likewise, the enantiomeric distribution of monoterpenoids is very different from Boswellia spp. essential oils.
Methods
The essential oils from the stem bark, leaves, and fruits of Commiphora gileadensis-collected at the Ein Gedi Botanical Garden, Israel-were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In addition, the enantiomeric distributions of the monoterpenoids in the essential oils have been determined by chiral gas chromatography.
Results
The essential oils were dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons, followed by oxygenated monoterpenoids. The major components in C. gileadensis oils were the monoterpenes α-pinene (11.1-18.4%), sabinene (15.8-35.9%), β-pinene (5.8-18.0%), p-cymene (4.8-8.4%), limonene (1.3-6.2%), γ-terpinene (0.7-8.1%), and terpinen-4-ol (5.3-18.5%). The (-)-enantiomers predominated for α-pinene, sabinene, β-pinene, limonene, and terpinen-4-ol. Conclusions: The chemical compositions of the C. gileadensis essential oils from Israel are markedly different from previously reported samples, which were rich in sesquiterpenoids. Likewise, the enantiomeric distribution of monoterpenoids is very different from Boswellia spp. essential oils.