Terpenes and n-Alkanes in Needles of Pinus cembra

Abstract

Simultaneous hydrodistillation and extraction of Pinus cembra needles from Slovakia was done (via Likens Nickerson apparatus) for the first time. In essential oil extracts 55 compounds were identified, comprising 99.6% of the extract. The most abundant were monoterpene hydrocarbons (71.0%). In the terpene profile alpha-pinene, limonene/beta-phellandrene, germacrene D, beta-pinene, and delta-cadinene dominated (53.2%, 11.4%, 9.4%, 4.6%, and 4.3%, respectively). Seven new compounds for P. cembra, such as methyl daniellate (0.5%), 1,8 cineole (0.2%) and trans-cadina-1(6),4-diene (0.2%), etc. were found. In needle cuticular wax of P. cembra the amount of nonacosan-10-ol was 75.8%. n-Alkanes ranged from C-20 to C-35 with the most dominant C-31, C-29 and C-33 (33.4%, 16.9%, and 9.6%, resp.). Differences in terpene profiles between Slovakian and Greece from one side and Romanian and Polish cembran pines on the other side could be the consequence of its disjuncted areal in Carpathian Mountains caused by glaciation and survival of species in different ecological niches. Obtained differences in n-alkane profiles among our and literature results could be the consequence of different age of trees.