The Chemical Composition of Some Mediterranean Citrus Oils

To compare the regional variations of the quantitative chemical composition, some Mediterranean citrus oils (lemon, sweet orange, bitter orange, and mandarin) from Italy and Spain have been studied. Over 100 constituents were identified in the various oils, from which 80 components could be quantified. No significant differences were found in the concentrations of the main constituents of sweet orange oils from both countries, whereas in the other three cases, the Italian oils possessed higher concentrations of α- and β-pinene, sabinene, some oxygenated monoterpenoids and aliphatic aldehydes in comparison to the corresponding Spanish oils. On the contrary, the latter contain more limonene, sesquiterpenoids as well as some benzenoid derivatives. Climatological differences between Italy-Sicily (coastal) and Spain—Andalucia (desert-like) are presumed to influence the quantitative composition as observed.