Identification des constituants de l'essence des aiguilles de Pinus pinaster

The chromatographic analysis of the volatile leaf oil of Pinus pinaster Ait. showed 42% of monoterpene hydrocarbons (α-pinene, camphene, β-pinene, myrcene, 3-carene, limonene, cis-ocimene, terpinolene, para-cymene, 35% of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (cubebene, copaene, caryophyllene, humulene, germacrene D, α- and γ-muurolenes, δ- and γ-cadinenes) and 23% of oxygenated compounds including esters (linalyl, bornyl, geranyl, neryl and farnesyl acetates), alcohols (cis-hexenol, linalool, α-fenchol, trans-pinocarveol, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, dihydrocarveol, guaiol, junenol and α-cadinol), one aldehyde (hexenal) and one ketone (piperitone). Three non terpenoid phenylethyl esters were also identified: phenylethyl isovalerate, methyl-2 burtyate and 3-3 dimethylacrylate. Some alcohols and mainly α-terpineol and linalool seemed to be formed during the steam distillation process, they were absent when the leaf oil was obtained by maceration of small portions of leaves in the usual solvents of terpenes.