Chemical Composition of Heracleum platytaenium Boiss. (Apiaceae) essential oil from Turkey
Nat. Volatiles & Essent. Oils, 2016; 3(4): 13-23
Kılıç et al.
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Chemical Composition of Heracleum platytaenium Boiss.
(Apiaceae) essential oil from Turkey
Ceyda Sibel Kılıç1*, Betül Demirci2, Maksut Coşkun1, Kemal Hüsnü Can Başer3
1
Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ankara University, 06100 Ankara, TURKEY
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, 26470 Eskisehir, TURKEY
3
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Near East University, Nicosia, N. Cyprus, Mersin 10, TURKEY
2
*Corresponding author. Email:
Abstract
Heracleum platytaenium Boiss. is a monocarpic and strongly aromatic plant that is endemic for Turkey. Many studies on activities,
constituents and composition of the essential oil of different parts of this species and other Heracleum species have been conducted.
However, as far as we are concerned, the essential oil composition of the roots has not been investigated. In this study, we
investigated the essential oil composition of the roots of H. playtaenium and identified p-cymene (33.9%), terpinolene (14.3%), γterpinene (7.1%), elemicine (3.1%) and myristicine (2.9%) as the major constituents.
Key words: Heracleum platytaenium, Apiaceae, essential oil, GC, GC-MS
Introduction
Heracleum L. belongs to the family Apiaceae and is represented by 23 taxa in Turkey and 7 of these species
are endemics (Guner, 2012). The genus has a widespread distribution throughout Europe, therefore some of
the species are considered to be invasive (Bahadori et al., 2016). Some species of the genus are being used
in traditional medicine in our country and also throughout the world. Heracleum species are reported to be
used as antipyretic, analgesic, diaphoretic, antiseptic, carminative and digestive agents, for the treatment of
rheumatic disease, hypertension, epilepsy and diarrhea, lumbago, gastralgia and injuries from falls,
contusions and strains (Akcin et al., 2013) and as wound healing (Tetik et al., 2013). One Heracleum species
(H. candicans) is used as a source for xanthotoxin – a substance used in the composition of suntan lotions for
its antileucodermal properties (Guleri et al., 2011) furanocoumarins and essential oil obtained from H.
crenatifolium is reported to have anticonvulsant activity (Tosun et al., 2008). Some Heracleum species are
reported to be used as flavoring, spices, carminative and antiseptic, digestive and analgesic in Iranian folk
medicine (Sefidkon et al., 2002; Hajhashemi et al., 2009; Torbati et al., 2014; Amanpour et al., 2016); as a
carminative herbal drug in Thai folk medicine (Kuljanabhagavad et al., 2010) and for inflammatory condition,
as antiarthritic and nerve tonic in Indian folk medicine (Purushothaman and Ravi, 2013). Heracleum
platytaenium is known with the names havlan, havlanotu, hometi, kekrer, romati, yabanlahanası (Kızılarslan
and Özhatay, 2012) and yavşan otu (Bayrak Özbucak et al., 2007) in Turkish. In addition to its traditional usage
as medicine, the species is also used for culinary purposes; e.g. the stems and stalks of the plant are
consumed as pickles around İzmit (Kızılarslan and Özhatay, 2012); the stems of the plant are first pickled and
then eaten as raw or as cooked with olive oil in the Black Sea region of Turkey (Bayrak Ozbucak et al., 2006)
and leaves of the plant are coked as meal or eaten as fresh in salads around Nigde (Ozdemir and Alpınar,
2010-2011). Since this species (Koçak et Buruk et al., 2006) and different Heracleum species are also reported
to have antiviral (Tkachenko, 2006), antibacterial and antifungal activities (Benli, et al., 2007; Ergene et al.,
13
Nat. Volatiles & Essent. Oils, 2016; 3(4): 13-23
Kılıç et al.
2009; Kuljanabhagavad et al., 2010; Özçakmak, 2012; Jagannath et al., 2012; Miladinovic, et al., 2013), this
species is tested against different strains of bacteria and fungi and the essential oil of the plant was
determined to have inhibitory and toxic effect against a fungus called Penicillium verrucosum which was
isolated from kashar cheese (Özçakmak, 2012), and against Paenibacillus larvae (Özkırım et al., 2012).
Though essential oils of different parts of various Heracleum species have been studied previously,
studies of the composition of the roots are scarce. In this study, we isolated the essential oil of the roots and
analyzed it by means of GC and GC-MS and reported the results.
Materials and Methods
Plant material
The plant was collected from the below mentioned locality and identified by Prof. Dr. Hayri Duman (Gazi
University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology) and the voucher specimen is kept in AEF (Herbarium
of Ankara University Faculty of Pharmacy).
Collection locality: Heracleum platytaenium: A7: Trabzon: Maçka-Torul arası, Maçka çıkışında yol kenarları,
3/7/2006 (AEF: 23756)
Isolation of the essential oils
Air dried roots (50g) were subjected hydrodistillation for 3 h using a Clevenger apparatus. Essential oil,
obtained with a yield of 4% was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and stored in a sealed vial at +4°C in
the dark until analyzed and tested.
GC and GC/MS analyses
GC-MS analysis
The GC-MS analysis was carried out with an Agilent 5975 GC-MSD system. Innowax FSC column (60 m x 0.25
mm, 0.25 m film thickness) was used with helium as carrier gas (0.8 ml/min). GC oven temperature was
kept at 60C for 10 min and programmed to 220C at a rate of 4C/min, and kept constant at 220C for 10
min and then programmed to 240°C at a rate of 1°C/min. Split ratio was adjusted at 40:1. The injector
temperature was set at 250C. Mass spectra were recorded at 70 eV. Mass range was from m/z 35 to 450.
GC analysis
The GC analysis was carried out using an Agilent 6890N GC system. FID detector temperature was 300C. To
obtain the same elution order with GC-MS, simultaneous auto-injection was done on a duplicate of the same
column applying the same operational conditions. Relative percentage amounts of the separated compounds
were calculated from FID chromatograms.
Identification of the volatile compounds
Identification of the essential oil components were carried out by comparison of their relative retention times
with those of authentic samples or by comparison of their relative retention index (RRI) to series of n-alkanes.
Computer matching against commercial (Wiley GC/MS Library, Adams Library, MassFinder 3 Library), and inhouse “Başer Library of Essential Oil Constituents” built up by genuine compounds and components of known
oils, as well as MS literature data (Joulain and Koenig, 1998; ESO 2000, 1999) was used for the identification.
14
Nat. Volatiles & Essent. Oils, 2016; 3(4): 13-23
Kılıç et al.
Results and Discussion
Analysis of the essential oil resulted in the characterization of 70 components, corresponding to the 89.4%
of the total oil. The composition of the essential oil is given in Table 1 with major components in written in
bold.
Table1. Composition of the Essential Oil of He (...truncated)