Resumo

RASGADO-BONILLA, Fátima A. et al. Seasonal Variation in the Chemical Composition of Resins and Essentials Oils of Liquidambar styraciflua from Hidalgo, Mexico. Bot. sci [online]. 2016, vol.94, n.2, pp.331-344. ISSN 2007-4476.  https://doi.org/10.17129/botsci.286.

The resin of Liquidambar styraciflua (Altingiaceae) was collected during the dry and rainy season of 2013, in the communities of Santa Lucia, Tianguistengo, Xochimilco and Xalapa in Hidalgo, Mexico. The essential oil from the resin was obtained by hydro-distillation. Resin samples from Xalapa during the dry season produced the highest amount of essential oil (9.3 %). Resin and oils were analyzed through thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, respectively. The thin layer chromatography analysis showed a higher number of compounds during the dry season. The retardation factors were calculated for both seasons some values agreed with reports for cinnamic and benzoic acids, also for cinnamyl cinnamate. A total of 52 compounds were found by the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and varied with the season. The major compounds were dihydro cinnamic alcohol, styrene, cardene, cinnamyl alcohol and alpha-pinene. Three of the compounds, namely beta-myrcene, allo-aromadendrene and gamma-cadinene, had been reported only for essential oil from leaves and stem of L. styraciflua. The main essential oils coincide between the different sources, so the commercial use of Mexican styrax should be viable from the standpoint of its composition.

Palavras-chave : dry season; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; rainy season; thin layer chromatography; Liquidambar.