EUCALYPTUS FROM MATA EXPERIMENTAL DO ESCAROUPIM (PORTUGAL): EVALUATION OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL COMPOSITION FROM SIXTEEN SPECIES

The essential oils isolated from the vegetative aerial parts (mature branches with leaves) of 16 Eucalyptus species, grown in Mata Experimental do Escaroupim (Salvaterra de Magos, Portugal) were studied. The essential oils from E. bosistoana F. Muell., E. botryoides Sm., E. camaldulensis Dehnh., E. cinerea F. Muell., E. citriodora Hook., E. cordieri Trabut, E. dives Schauer, E. ficifolia F. Muell., E. globulus Labill., E. pauciflora Sieber ex Spreng., E. polyanthemos Schauer, E. radiate Sieber ex DC, E. saligna Sm., E. smithii R.T. Baker, E. urophylla S.T. Blake and E. viminalis Labill. were analyzed by GC and GC-MS, and the percentage composition of the volatiles was used to determine the relationship between the different oil samples by cluster analysis. Cluster analysis showed a high correlation (S_corr≥0.80) among 11 species (E. bosistoana, E. botryoides, E. camaldulensis, E. cinerea, E. cordieri, E. globulus, E. polyanthemos, E. radiata, E. saligna, E. smithii and E. viminalis), mainly due to their richness in 1,8-cineole (27-83%). The remaining 5 species were dominated by citronellal (36%, E. citriodora), piperitone (40%, E. dives), limonene and α-pinene (41 and 44%, respectively, E. ficifolia), α-pinene (82%, E. pauciflora) and α-phellandrene (45%, E. urophylla).