Chemical Composition of Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) Berries Essential Oils as Observed in a Collection of Genotypes

Abstract

Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) is a shrub spontaneously growing in the Mediterranean area. The leaf and fruit content of essential oils and phenolic compounds justify the wide use of the plant as medicinal and aromatic. Because of overexploitation of wild plants, a domestication process is in progress in different regions and the influence of the genotype variability on the chemical composition of fruit essential oils may be useful to breeding programs. Consequently, the analysis performed on a selected group of candidate clones growing in the same field collection in Sardinia is the object of this report. Forty-seven selections provided fully ripe fruits for essential oil extraction by hydrodistillation and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Only five candidate clones showed white fruits. The highest yield of essential oil was observed in the LAC31 genotype with 0.55 g·kg−1, while the samples BOS1, MON5, RUM4, RUM10, V4 and V8 showed values above 0.20 g·kg−1 and most of the genotypes under 0.10 g·kg−1. Geranyl acetate was the compound with the highest relative abundance. The second compound for relative abundance was the 1,8-cineole. Other compounds with high relative abundance were α-terpinyl acetate, methyleugenol, linalool, α-terpineol, β-caryophyllene, α-humulene, Trans-caryophyllene oxide, and humulene epoxide II.

Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) berries, seeds, leaves, and essential oils: New undiscovered sources of natural compounds with promising health benefits

“…Essential oils derived from myrtle leaves, flowers, and berries have been deeply studied for their chemical composition, which, also in this case, can be influenced by several factors, including the plant variety, the geographical area, the type of extraction and drying plant parts, the plant developmental and fruit maturation stage, the storage conditions, and the environmental stress (Hennia, Nemmiche, Dandlen, & Miguel, 2019). In general, monoterpenes hydrocarbon, oxygenated monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenoids are the most common classes of compounds found in essential oils extracted from myrtle berries and leaves, with 1,8‐cineole, α‐pinene, limonene, geranyl acetate, linalool, estragole, α‐terpinyl acetate, myrtenyl acetate, bergamotene, and E‐caryophyllene the most representative ones (Figure 2) (Brada, Tabti, Boutoumi, Wathelet, & Lognay, 2012; Hennia et al., 2019; Kordali, Usanmaz, Cakir, Komaki, & Ercislid, 2016; Mahmoudvand, Ezzatkhah, Sharififar, Sharifi, & Dezaki, 2015; Messaoud & Boussaid, 2011; Pereira, Cebola, & Bernardo‐Gil, 2009; Petretto et al., 2016; Rahimmalek, Mirzakhani, & Pirbalouti, 2013; Tuberoso et al., 2007; Usai, Marchetti, Culeddu, & Mulas, 2018; Viuda‐Martos et al., 2011).…”

A Two‐Year Bio‐Agronomic and Chemotaxonomic Evaluation of Wild Sicilian Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) Berries and Leaves

“…[32] These results appear quite interesting in terms of comparison with the analog product, namely the myrtle berry essential oil obtained from the Sardinian myrtle, which represents a typical product of this region. In fact, the Sardinian essential oil is characterized by a high content of geranyl acetate and 1,8-cineole, followed by α-terpinyl acetate, methyl eugenol, linalool, βcaryophyllene, α-humulene, caryophyllene oxide and humulene epoxide; [41] the Sicilian oil instead presents a high amount of α-pinene, linalool and 1,8-cineole, followed by linalyl acetate, limonene, geranyl acetate and α-terpineol, whereas sesquiterpenes are numerically and quantitatively at very low extent ( Table 4). Therefore, unlike the myrtle leaves, the berries from the two main Mediterranean islands (Sicily and Sardinia) possess different and peculiar features.…”

Chemotaxonomic Evaluation by Volatolomics Analysis of Fifty-Two Genotypes of Myrtus communis L.

“…This composition was substantially similar to those of essential oils from Tunisia, Corsica, and Liguria [ 3 , 8 , 13 , 22 , 23 ], while the low concentrations of myrtenol and myrtenyl acetate were confirmed as discriminant with respect to samples coming from the East and West Mediterranean areas [ 13 , 23 , 24 ]. The importance in some genotypes of two previously identified compounds, dihydroeugenyl butanoate and dihydroeugenyl pentanoate, was also confirmed [ 4 ].…”

“…The essential oils of leaves were more homogeneous compared to those derived from berries. In order to investigate statistically possible ecological influences on genotype differences and consequent essential oils compositions, we compared data (obtained using the same analytical methods) on the composition of essential oils from leaves and berries obtained from the same selections [ 4 ]. The software employed was “SIMCA” (see Materials and Methods), and we used a method based on PCA for classification and OPLS-DA for discriminatory analysis.…”

“…Some parts of the plant are used in the food industry for flavoring meat and sauces, and its leaves have been extensively used in perfume and cosmetic industries [ 3 , 4 ]. Myrtle has also been intensively studied for its essential oil obtained from the whole aerial part of the plant [ 5 ], leaves [ 3 , 6 ], flowers [ 3 ], and berries [ 4 ]. Different chemical profiles according to different plant parts sampled, or different test populations, have been registered.…”