Influence of Fruit Conservation Methods on the Essential Oil Composition ofXylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Richard from Benin

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The fruits of Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Richard (Annonaceae) from Benin, commercially conserved in two different ways, were subjected to steam distillation. The resulting essential oils were analysed by high-resolution GC and HRGC-MS. For comparison, the leaf oil and fresh fruit oil of X. aethiopica were analysed as well. The oils were found to contain 50–60 components, of which about 40–45 constituents have been identified, accounting for more than 95% of the oils. The major components appeared to be α-pinene (4–16%), sabinene (3–35%), β-pinene (12–42%), 1,8-cineole (trace-15%) and (Z)ocimene (trace-18%). The leaf oil contained, in addition to these constituents, 14.9% of elemol.