Comparative analysis of the oil and supercritical CO(2) extract of Schinus molle L. growing in Yemen.

In this study, we report the preliminary data on the chemical composition of Yemeni Schinus molle L. volatile oil obtained by supercritical extraction with carbon dioxide (40°C and 90 bar), SFE, and by hydrodistillation (HD). The composition of the volatile oil has been analysed by GC and GC-MS. The content of the major constituents in the oils from leaves varied in the following ranges: germacrene D 3.7% in SFE and 16.7% in HD; β-caryophyllene 19.1% in SFE and 13.5% in HD. The amount of monoterpenes constituted 4%, in all the analysed samples, while the number of sesquiterpenes was 44% in supercritical and 67% in HD oil. Some compounds were not identified by GC-MS and it will require further analysis using other analytical techniques.