Chemical composition of the leaf essential oil of Lindera benzoin growing in North Alabama

Abstract

The leaf essential oil of Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume (Lauraceae), growing in Huntsville, Alabama, was isolated by hydrodistillation. This plant, known commonly as spicebush, was used in native American traditional medicine, and is a host plant of the spicebush swallowtail butterfly, Papilio troilus. The chemical composition of the leaf oil of L. benzoin was determined by GC–MS. The most abundant essential oil components were 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (42.9%), β-caryophyllene (7.7%), bicyclogermacrene (5.1%), δ-cadinene (4.9%), and (E)-nerolidol (4.8%).