engleski

Essential oils in wild Istrian fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.): variability in the content and composition

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) is a ubiquitous member of the Apiaceae family whose fruits (seeds) are used extensively as flavoring agents in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. Fennel seeds are rich in essential oils (EO), the content and composition of which may vary according to geographical origin. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate EO variation in wild fennel seeds collected from five natural habitats located in Istria region (Croatia): Poreč, Pula, Plomin, Raša and Vodnjan. For this purpose, dry mature fennel seeds were subjected to hydrodistillation and the obtained EO were evaluated by GC-MS analysis. All obtained results were statistically analyzed. The samples differed significantly according to the EO yield, which ranged from 4.90 (Plomin) to 6.30% (Pula). A total of 20 volatiles were identified and quantified: α-pinene, camphene, sabinene, β-pinene, myrcene, α-phellandrene, α-terpinene, p-cymene, D-limonene, eucalyptol, γ-terpinene, cis-sabinene hydrate, L-fenchone, linalool, camphor, α-terpineol, estragole, carvone, p-anisaldehyde and trans-anethole. Despite significant differences among samples, phenylpropanoids dominated in all samples (71.33-77.31%), followed by oxygenated monoterpenes (14.40-18.32%) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (7.48-12.02%). Trans-anethole (15.57-70.94%), estragole (6.18-55.89%) and L-fenchone (11.60-16.85%) were the major constituents, while α-pinene, myrcene and D-limonene were present in lower but noticeable amounts (1.85-3.78, 1.66-2.63 and 1.04-1.57%, respectively).

fennel ; essential oils ; GC-MS ; phenylpropanoids ; terpenes

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