Abstract
The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from the fresh peels of Citrus macroptera Montr. and C maxima(Burm.) Merr. were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The yields of oil ranged from 0.53% in C macroptera to 0.13% in C maxima cultivar (white). Forty-seven compounds were identified in the oils with limonene (55.3-80.0%), dodecyl acrylate (2.2-8.0%), geranial (0.4-3.5%), trans-linalool oxide (1.0-2.8%), α-terpineol (0.7-2.3%), linalool (0.7-1.5%) and cis- linalool oxide (0.5-1.4%) identified as major compounds. The oil of C. macroptera contained limonene (55.3%), β-caryophyllene (4.7%) and geranial (3.5%) as main compounds. Similarly, oils from two C maxima(pink and white) cultivars were rich in limonene (72.0-80.0%), dodecyl acrylate (8.0-7.2%) and nootkatone (1.6-2.5%). C maxima(pink and white) cultivars were found to contain higher amount of limonene (72.0 and 80.0%) as compared with C. macroptera(55.3%). The chemical compositions of the oils were found to be similar, but nootkatone (1.6-2.5%) was identified only in C maxima cultivars.