Dominance of β-Caryophyllene and Its Epoxidized Derivatives in the Leaf Essential Oil of Uvaria chamae from Côte d’Ivoire: Analysis by GC–MS and ¹³C NMR

The essential oil from the leaves of Uvaria chamae, collected in Daloa (Côte d’Ivoire), was extracted by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus, affording a yield of 0.062 ± 0.001%. Comprehensive chemical profiling by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), further supported by carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C NMR), led to the identification of 65 compounds representing 99.29% of the oil. The oil was overwhelmingly dominated by sesquiterpenes (over 77%), particularly β-caryophyllene (12.38%), β-caryophyllene oxide (17.97%), and α-copaene epoxide (13.92%). Minor constituents included monoterpenes, esters, alcohols, and trace levels of aldehydes and ketones (<2%). This study highlights the predominance of oxygenated sesquiterpenes as chemical markers of U. chamae leaf essential oil from Côte d’Ivoire.