The ontogenetic variability of chemical composition of the essential oils of Erigeron canadensis L., Daucus carota L. ssp. carota and Anethum graveolens L. was studied. A distinct dependence between the ontogenetic stage and the contents as well as the chemical composition of essential oils was observed. The results obtained are of significance for determining the most favourable time limit for picking plant raw material.

The essential oils from needles, twigs, bark, wood, and cones of Pinus cembra were analyzed by GC-FID, GC/MS, and H-NMR spectroscopy. More than 130 compounds were identified. The oils differed in the quantitative composition. The principal components of the oil from twigs with needles were α-pinene (36.3%), limonene (22.7%) and β-phellandrene (12.0%). The needle oil was dominated by α-pinene (48.4%), whereas in the oil from bark and in the oil from twigs without needles there were limonene (36.2% and 33.6%, resp.) and β-phellandrene (18.8% and 17.1%, resp.). The main constituents of the wood oil as well as cone oil were α-pinene (35.2% and 39.0%, resp.) and β-pinene (10.4% and 18.9%, resp.). The wood oil and the cone oil contained large amounts of oxygenated diterpenes in comparison with needle, twig, and bark oils.

The essential oils from different parts of Thuja plicata and its cultivar varieties "Fastigiata", "Kornik," and "Zebrina" were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry. More than 80 compounds were identified. The oils from leaves, twigs with leaves, and twigs without leaves contained mainly α-thujone (52.1%-59.2%), fenchone (10.0%-11.3%), and beyerene (3.7%-9.5%), whereas in the cone oil there were α-thujone (35.6%), sabinene (24.0%), and α-pinene (8.3%). The main constituents of the oils from twigs with leaves of "Fastigiata," "Zebrina," and "Kornik" cultivars were α-thujone (76.2%, 72.5%, and 67.4%, respectively) and β-thujone (7.6%, 6.2%, and 4.9%, respectively). The oils from cultivars contained more thujones and less fenchone and diterpenes in comparison with T. plicata oil.

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The essential oils from fruits, leaves and flowers of the Amur cork tree (Phellodendron amurense Rupr.) were analysed by GC, GC-MS and 1 H-NMR spectroscopy. About 80 compounds were identified in each oil. Myrcene (62.3-70.3%) and β β β β β-caryophyllene (6.8-10.5%) dominated in the oils from unripe and ripe fruits. The leaf oil contained β β β β β-elemol (18.5%) and (Z)-β β β β β-ocimene (12.6%) as the main constituents, whereas in the flower oil these were (Z)-β β β β β-ocimene (9.5%), β β β β β-elemol (9.4%), myrcene (7.8%) and nonacosane (7.7%).

S u m m a r yIntroduction: Thuja occidentalis 'Brabant' and T. occidentalis 'Smaragd' are widely planted as decoration in parks and as hedges in domestic gardens in Poland. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the yield and the composition of essential oils from different parts of these cultivars. Methods: The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation, and then analyzed by GC/MS. Results: Over seventy compounds were identified. The oils from leaves, twigs with leaves and twigs without leaves of 'Brabant' variety contained mainly α-thujone (61.0-64.4%), β-thujone (10.4-10.7%) and fenchone (7.7-8.0%), whereas in the cone oil there were α-thujone (42.1%), sabinene (11.2%) and β-thujone (10.2%). The main constituents of the oil from leaves and twigs with leaves of 'Smaragd' variety were α-thujone (49.2-49.3%), beyerene (12.8-13.2%) and sabinene (8.9-9.3%). Conclusions: The yield and chemical composition of the essential oil of T. occidentalis depend on the variety and plant organ. The oil of 'Brabant' variety contained more thujones and less diterpenes in comparison with the oil of 'Smaragd' variety.

The essential oils from different botanical parts (herb, leaves, flowers, stems, roots) of Conyza canadensis Cronq. were analysed at various ontogenesis phases. R-(+)-limonene and trans-α-bergamotene were the main constituents of the herb, leaf and flower oil at all phases of vegetation. The early flowering phases are the best time for harvesting C. canadensis herb, because the oil yield is the highest (0.7-0.8%) and its chemical composition is constant (limonene 80-81%, trans-α-bergamotene 6-8%). Limonene was the dominating compound of the oils of European origin (French, Italian, Spanish, Belgian, Bulgarian and Lithuanian).