A comparative study of volatile constituents of two Helichrysum italicum (Roth) Guss. Don Fil subspecies growing in Corsica (France), Tuscany and Sardinia (Italy)

Abstract The essential oils obtained by water distillation from the aerial parts of two Helichrysum italicum ssp. growing in Corsica (France), Tuscany and Sardinia (Italy) were analysed by GC–RI and GC–MS. The essential oils prepared from Corsican and Tuscan Helichrysum italicum subsp. italicum exhibited two different compositions. Corsican oils were characterized by the pre‐eminence of oxygenated compounds: neryl acetate (major compound), neryl propionate, nerol, acyclic ketones and β ‐diketones. Conversely, Tuscan oils were found to exhibit higher contents of hydrocarbons ( α ‐pinene, β ‐caryophyllene, α ‐ and β ‐selinenes). The comparison of essential oils hydrodistilled from Corsican and Sardinian Helichrysum italicum subsp. microphyllum showed almost similar chemical compositions. The main constituents were: neryl acetate, nerol, neryl propionate, linalool, eudesm‐5‐en‐11‐ol and γ ‐curcumene. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.