A Study on Low-boiling Compounds of Essential Oil of Geranium Species

From the first crop of P. graveolens and the first and third ones of P. roseum Bourbon, low-boiling compounds escaping during the steam distillation were collected, and examined through gas chromatography and the preparation of their derivatives. Nine hydrocarbons, five carbonyl compounds, three alcohols, two esters and one sulfide were identified. Among these twenty compounds, sixteen compounds except dimethyl sulfide, α-pinene, myrcene and limonene were newly identified in the geranium species. Appreciable variation between the species was observed in contents of methanol, acetone, dimethyl sulfide and terpene hydrocarbons.