The chemical composition of essential oils from the flowering plants of four Tagetes species was examined by GC-MS. Of the species examined only T. rninuta L. was rich in /3-ocimene. The other major constituents of this species and of T. tenuifolia Cav. were dihydrotagetone, tagetone, and (E)-ocimenone. These two species only contained small amounts of (2)-ocimenone but, in contrast, the essential oil of T. patula L. contained equal amounts of (Z)-and (E)-ocimenone. The oil from T. patula also contained limonene and /?-caryophyllene. The essential oil from T. erecta L. differed largely from the other three species containing mainly limonene, /?-caryophyllene, and piperitone. In agar-diffusion experiments the essential oil of T. rninuta inhibited the multiplication of fungi, Gram-positive and Gram-negative micro organisms.
Several populations of AcAillea species were coiiected from Hungarian localities. The characteristic composition cf the essential oils of almost 220 populations were determined by gas chromatography/rnass spectrometry. The main component of Achillea asplenifoliu, A. setacea and A. collina oils is chamazuiene, with a moiecular mass of 184. The composition of some A. setacea is different: instead of chamazulene it contains a significant amount of farnesene. Oils of A. distans, A. crithmifolia, A. nobilis, A. pannonica and A. ochroleuca contain some different and speciñc compounds instead of chamazulene. During the analysis of many essential oils, we found some very interesting differences within species originating from another geographical area.
I N T R O D U C T I O NThe characteristic composition of the essential oils from eight Achiiiea species (Asteracea) have been studied since 1984, and the composition of about 220 populations were determined. Populations of different areas-including the Pilis, Vértes mountains, in the neighbourhood of our institute-were collected. During the complex botanical and phytochemical investigation, the collection of the Achiliea species started simultaneously with establishing a Pilismountain gene reservation modei site in the institute in 1985.' t Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
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EXPERIMENTAL Plant materialThe following eight Achillea species (populations) were collected on botanical study tours in the country (
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