Composition of commercial Cape chamomile oil (Eriocephalus punctulatus)

Cape chamomile oil obtained from the herb Eriocephalus punctulatus DC (Asteraceae) was analysed by GC and GC–MS. It was shown to consist of about 50 aliphatic esters, together amounting to more than 50% of the oil. 2‐Methylbutyl 2‐methylpropanoate (21.2%), 2‐methylbutyl 2‐methylbutanoate (5.6%), 2‐methylpropyl 2‐methylpropanoate (5.3%), and 7‐methyl‐2‐octyl acetate (4.5%) were the main components. In the terpenoid portion (about 37%), linalyl acetate (4.4%) and α‐pinene (1.9%) were the major compounds. In the higher boiling fraction, the artedouglasia oxides A–D, several davanones and laciniata furanones, oxygenated sesquiterpenes previously found in Artemisia species, could be detected in amounts of 5.9%, 0.4% and 1.4%, respectively. Commercial samples of different years showed almost identical compositions.