Characterization of essential oils of ten eucalyptus species grown in the greenhouse and in the field

Abstract Essential oils from Eucalyptus species have broad use in various sectors of health, agriculture, and other industries, which seek safer and more sustainable products and raw materials, mitigating damage to human health and the environment. In this scenario, eucalyptus species are major sources of essential oils because their diverse composition. This study aimed to identify the predominant constituents in essential oils extracted from leaves of ten eucalyptus species (Eucalyptus and Corymbia genus, Myrtaceae family). Leaves were collected from cultivated in the field (adult plants) and greenhouse (young plants), and assessed whether these conditions affect the oil characteristics. Essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation using Clevenger apparatus and the chemical composition of the essential oils was obtained using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed a large variation among species and samples from the field and greenhouse. The results were compared with the literature and confirmed how variable eucalyptus essential oil can be.