Aromatic plants of Tropical Central Africa. Part XXVII.Comparative Study of the Volatile Constituents of Five Annonaceae Species Growing in Cameroon

Nine essential oils were isolated from five Annonaceae species growing in Cameroon. The samples were analysed by GC and GC-MS. The volatile oils obtained from seeds of Monodora myristica (Gaertn.) Dunal and Monodora brevipes Benth., those from leaves and fruits of Annona senegalensis. Pers. var. Senegalensis and that from fruits of Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook. Fil. et Thoms. were mainly monoterpenic, the major components being α-phellandrene or sabinene and mycrene. The leaf essential oil of M. brevipes contained approximately equal amounts of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, with two major components with an acyclic structure: (Z) ocimene and (E),(E) α-farnesene. Finally, the oils from leaves of M. myristica, Annona muricata L. and C. odorata contained mostly sesquiterpenes, the major constituent being β-caryophyllene.