Chemical Compositions of the Leaf Essential Oils of Aralia spinosa from Three Habitats in Northern Alabama

Aralia spinosa leaves were collected from three different habitats in north Alabama. The leaf essential oils were collected by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography / mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The most abundant components of A. spinosa essential oils were the sesquiterpenes germacrene D (28.0% - 37.3%), (E)-caryophyllene (8.2% - 15.7%), and α-humulene (1.9% - 4.9%); the monoterpene myrcene (up to 15.1%), and the fatty-acid-derivative (2E)-hexenal (trace to 28.9%). Fatty-acid derivatives and monoterpene hydrocarbons were more abundant in samples from suburban Huntsville than those from “natural” habitats (Monte Sano Mountain, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge), while sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were more abundant in the natural/wild samples.