Mentha candicans, a New Chemical Strain of SectionSpicatae, Containing trans-Sabinene Hydrate as the Principal Component of Essential Oil

Abstract

The essential oil of Mentha candicans Miller, obtained by solvent extraction, was found to contain predominantly (+ )-trans-sabinene hydrate, accompanied by a small amount of (+ )-cis-sabinene hydrate; the latter compound was for the first time isolated as a naturally occurring monoterpene. When the oil was obtained by the usual steam distillation, transsabinene hydrate was isomerized to terpinen-4-ol, the content of which increased markedly with prolonged distillation. The other components of this oil were a-pinene, tJ-pinene, sabinene, 1,8-cineole, r -terpin ene, p-cymene, 3-octanol, menthol and a-terpineol. These findings indicate that Mentha candicans is a new chemical strain of Section Spicatae.

Enantiomeric composition of (E)- and (Z)-sabinene hydrate and their acetates in ?veOriganum spp.

“…The optical rotations of (1R,4R,5S) (Z)-3 and (1R,4S,5S)(E)-1 sabinene hydrates, isolated from marjoram, were determined previously by Granger et al, 17 and (1R,4S,5S)(E)-sabinene hydrate 1 [(+)-transsabinene hydrate] was isolated from the oil of Mentha candicans in very large quantities (85.3%). 18 The enantiomers of (E)-sabinene hydrate 1 + 2 and (Z)-sabinene hydrate 3 + 4 from the flush growth of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) [19][20][21] and from other Melaleuca spp. 22,23 were separated and analysed on a β-cyclodextrin chiral phase by one-and two-dimensional gas chromatography.…”