Contribution to the Qualitative and Quantitative Study of SevenEucalyptusSpecies Essential Oil Harvested of Hajeb’s Layoun Arboreta (Tunisia)

The dried leaves hydrodistillation of seven species of the genus Eucalyptus Herit. (E. eremophila (Diels) Maiden, E. oleosa F. Muell, E. patellaris F. Muell, E. astringens (Maiden) Maiden, E. striaticalyx W.V. Fitz, E. salubris F. Muell and E. transcontinentalis Maiden) harvested of Hajeb Layoun arboreta (region of Kairouan, Tunisia) in two periods (June 2004 and January 2005), shows that essential oil yields, related to the dry material, vary from 0.1 to 5.3 % according to the species and to the date of harvest. The best yields were recorded in January harvest. 74 components were identified by GC-MS. Contents of the different samples vary according to the species and to the harvest. Main compounds are 1,8-cineole (8.6 – 58.5 %), α-pinene (2.8 – 29.4 %), viridiflorol (1.7 % –23.6 %), limonene (0.4 – 19.7 %) and pinocarvone (0.1 – 8.2 %). E. eremophila presents the most raised yield in essential oil and the best rate in 1,8-Cineole.