Essential oil from the fruits ofSchinus molleL. from Peru

The essential oil from the fruits of Schinus molle L. was investigated, in order to establish the enantiomeric distribution of its main chiral compounds. Three samples were collected between September 2001 and February 2003. The essential oils were obtained by steam distillation and analysed by GC-MS. The main components were: α-pinene (3.1 -5.7%), myrcene (26.4 – 42.0%), α-phellandrene (4.0–25.0%), limonene (9.8–19.0%), β-phellandrene (7.7–9.7%), p-cymene (3.2–19.8%), methyl octanoate (0.7–1.9%) and (Z)-β-caryophyllene (0.5 – 0.9%). The 31 compounds identified represent 94,9 – 98,2% of the total oil content. The enantiomeric distribution of the main chiral hydrocarbons showed that α-and β-phellandrene were present with only one enantiomer, while α-pinene and limonene were found to be mixtures of both enantiomers in variable concentrations.