Chemical composition of some traditional herbal drug preparations: essential oil and aromatic water of costmary (Balsamita suaveolens Pers.)

The compositions of the essential oil and the aromatic water of costmary (Balsamita suaveolens Pers.) cultivated in Tuscany were investigated. They represent the main ingredients of some traditional preparations sold commercially. The essential oil as such and the n-hexane extract of the aromatic water were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Both samples were found to be rich in monoterpenes. Eighty-five compounds were identified, accounting for 95.1 and 95.4% of the essential oil and n-hexane extract of aromatic water, respectively. Carvone was the main compound (43.5% in the essential oil and 74.9% in the n-hexane extract of aromatic water). In addition, solid phase microextraction was used to sample the volatile organic compounds emitted from the fresh plant and from the aromatic water, and carvone was again the main component, amounting to 46.2 and 41.3%, respectively.