FLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, VOL.

1, 155-157 (1986)

Volatile Leaf Oil of Coleonema pulchellum Williams (Rutaceae)

Joseph J. Brophy
School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, PO Box I , Kensington, NSW 2033, Australia

Erich V. Lassak
Kalgoorlie College, PMB 22, Kalgoorlie, W A 6430, Australia

The steam volatile leaf oil of Coleonema pulchellum Williams contains mainly monoterpenes with a- and
8-pinene, myrcene and 8-phellandrene between them accounting for approximately 50% of the oil. Linalol and
terpinen-4-01 accounted for 6% of the oil, while the sesquiterpenes caryophyllene, germacrene-D and
bicyclogermacrene contributed 10%. AU told, 55 compounds were detected.

KEY WORDS Essential oil Leaves Coleonema pulchellum Williams Rutaceae Monoterpenes

Coleonema pulchellum Williams, formerly
referred to as C.pulchrum Hook, is a small
heather-like shrub native to South Africa. Its
small pink flowers, present in profusion for the
greater part of the year, form a pleasing contrast
with its dark green, strongly scented foliage and
explain its great popularity as a garden orna-
mental. Previous chemical work has been limited
to the very closely related C. album (Thunb.)
Bartl. et Wendl, the foliage of which was shown to
contain a mixture of six 7-oxy- and 7,8-dioxy
cournarins.'** C. album was shown to have
negligible differences in DNA from that of
C. pulchellum.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Steam distillation of leaves and terminal branch-
lets yielded a small amount of a volatile oil which
exhibited a similar but much weaker and less
persistent odour than that of the crushed leaves.
Examination of the oil by combined gas chro-
matography/mass spectrometry led to the
detection of over 54 components (Table 1) of
which 45 have been identified by comparison of
their mass spectra and GLC retention times with
authentic compounds.
The composition of the oil was predominantly
monoterpenic in character with a- and 8-pinene,
myrcene and 8-phellandrene being the principal
hydrocarbons. There were also small amounts
(<4%) of linalol, terpinen-4-01 and a-terpineol.
Sesquiterpenes accounted for approximately 10%
0882-5734/86/0401S5-03S05.00
0 1986 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
of the oil; with caryophyllene, germacrene-D and
bicyclogermacrene being the principal ones.
Naphthalene, an unusual constituent of essential
oils, has also been identified in other species of
the family Rutaceae, e.g. in the genus Zieria. *
EXPERIMENTAL
Isolation of the Volatile Oil
Leaves and terminal branchlets, obtained from
bushes grown at Randwick, NSW, were steam
distilled with cohobation in an all-glass apparatus'
to yield an almost colourless oil (0.3% w/w), nio
1.4816.
ldentijication of Constituents
Analytical GC was conducted on an SPlOOO-
coated SCOT column (85 m x 0.5 mm) pro-
grammed from 65°C to 225°C at 3"C/min.
Helium was used as carrier gas. Percentage com-
positions were determined using an LCD/Milton
Roy C1 10 electronic integrator. For combined
gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, the gas
chromatograph was connected to an AEI MS 12
mass spectrometer through an all-glass straight
split. Spectra which were acquired every 6 sec-
onds at 70 eV were processed by VG Display
Digispec data system. Component identification
was based on comparison of mass spectra and
retention times with authentic materials or oils of
known composition.
Received 1 December I986
156 J. J. BROPHY AND E. V. LASSAK

Table 1. Compounds identified in the essential oil of Coleonerna pulchellum

Peak no.* Compound Percentage Identification methodt

1 a-pinene 12.2 MS, GC

2 camphene 0.03 MS, GC
3 8-pinene 10.6 MS, GC
4 sabinene 9.4 MS. GC
5 myrcene 18.8 MS, GC
6 a-phellandrene 0.3 MS, GC
7 C10H16 0.03 MS
n a-terpinene 0.76 MS, GC
9 limonene 3.5 MS, GC
10 P-phellandrene 11.8 MS, GC
11 cis-b-ocimene.. . tent.. . 5.9 MS6s7
12 y-terpinene 2.1 MS, GC
13 trans-b-ocimene 4.9 MS, GC
14 p-cymene 0.06 MS, GC
15 terpinolene 0.3 MS, GC
16 CiOH140 0.03 MS
17 an allo-ocimene 0.13 MS, GC?
in unknown 0.01
19 a-cubebene 0.02 MS, GC
20 an elemene 0.14 MS, GC
21 a-copaene 0.05 MS, GC
22 C15H24 0.05 MS
23 j- bourbonene 0.01 MS. GC
24 Iina1oI 3.6 MS;GC
25 ClOHl8O 0.15 MS
26 trans- menth-2-en- 1-01 0.05 MS, GC
27 pinocarvone 0.52 MS, GC
28 8-ylangene 0.05 MS, GC
29 terpinen-4-01 2.2 MS, GC
30 caryophyllene 3.3 MS, G C
31 cis-menth-2-en- 1-01 0.02 MS, G C
32 C15H24 0.01 MS
33 pinocarveol 0.02 MS, GC
34 C15H24 0.01 MS
35 humulene 0.36 MS, GC
36 a-terpineol 0.76 MS, GC
37 borneol 0.03 MS, GC
38 viridiflorene 0.01 MS, GC
39 germacrene-D 4.9 MS, GC
40 naphthalene 0.02 MS, GC
41 bicyclogermacrene 1.3 MS, GC
42 6-cadinene 0.23 MS, GC
43 myrtenol 0.23 MS, GC
44 unknown 0.02
45 geraniol 0.02 MS, GC
46 a methylnaphthalene 0.01 MS
47 caryophyllene oxide 0.02 MS, GC
48 methyleugenol 0.04 MS, GC
49 C15H260 0.05 MS
50 C15H260 0.04 MS
51 spathulenol 0.07 MS, GC
52 eugenol + T-cadinol 0.19 MS, GC
53 T-muurolol 0.11 MS, GC
54 a-cadinol 0.17 MS, GC
*Compounds are listed in their elution order from an SPlOOO column.
?MS = mass spectrometric identification; GC = identical retention time to authentic compound.
 LEAF OIL OF COLEONEMA PULCHELLUM 157

Acknowledgement-The authors thank the 2. A. 1. Gray, Phyrochernisrry, 20, 1711 (1981).

Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney for
identifying the plant material.
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lnrernational Congress of Essential Oils, Cannes, 1980,
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