Essential Oil Composition of Alchemilla alpina L. em. Buser from Western Alpine Pastures

The volatile fraction of Alchemilla alpinaL. em. Buser was isolated by steam distillation from fresh aerial tissues and analyzed by GC-FID and GC/MS. Fresh samples were collected in two experimental sites located in Western alpine region (Alpe Gianna and Alpe Caugis, Val Pellice, Piedmont, Italy). The yield in essential oil was 0.16 ± 0.04% of fresh material. A wide range in volatile quantitative composition was detected. Terpenes and alcohols were identified as the major compounds representing the 36.9% and 30.6% of the total oil, and quantified as 47.3 µg/g fresh weight and 39.2 µg/g fresh weight, respectively. Aldehydes were quoted as 15.4% of the total oil (19.7 µg/g fresh weight), followed by acids 2.3% (3.0 µg/g fresh weight), esters 1.0% (1.3 µg/g fresh weight) and unidentified 0.5% (0.7 µg/g fresh weight). Dill apiole, coumarin, myristicin, vanillin, eugenol, apiole and p-vinyl guaiacol, altogether quoted as 4.5% of the total oil (5.8 µg/g fresh weight), were also detected.