The volatile constituent analysis of Digitalis nervosa Steud. & Hochst. ex Benth. from Iran

Abstract

The volatile constituents of the leaves of Digitalis nervosa Steud. & Hochst. ex Benth. growing wild in Iran was reported for the first time. The essential oil of the leaves of this plant was examined by gas chromatography using a flame-ionization detector and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Thirty-four components were identified constituting approximately 96.5% of the essential oil of D. nervosa. The essential oil of D. nervosa is rich in palmitic acid (20.5%), trans-pinocamphone (16.0%), phytol (6.5%), caryophyllen oxide (5.9%), hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (4.6%), 3-ethyl-4-methyl-1-pentanol (4.4%), oleic acid (3.7%), spathulenol (3.6%), di(2-methylpropyl) phthalate (2.7%), cedrol (2.3%), and farnesol (2.1%). The results obtained showed that the essential oil of D. nervosa contains ten oxygenated monoterpenes (25.7%), seven oxygenated sesquiterpenes (21.1%), one oxygenated diterpene (6.5%), and fourteen nonterpene (41.4%) compounds. The essential oil from the D. nervosa leaves has relatively high content of the oxygenated monoterpenes, therefore a significant antibacterial role for this essential oil is expectable. Because of the presence of trans-pinocamphone, which can act as a γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-gated chloride channel blocker, the essential oil of D. nervosa can be neurotoxic.