440 Handbook of herbs and spices
Extraction methods (i.e. hydro- and steam distillation, supercritical CO 2 , solvent
extraction, etc.), solvent composition and sample preparation affect the chemical
profile of extracts. (Cu et al., 1990; Dauksas et al., 1999; Bylait et al., 2000; Dauksas
et al., 2002; Menaker et al., 2004).
The essential oil content (w/w%) in different plant parts is 0.05–1.0% in the
rhizome and roots, 0.1–0.4% in the leafy stem bearing green seed, 0.08–0.2% in the
leaves, and 0.8–2.7% in the ripe seeds. Essential oil composition of lovage has been
studied extensively and more than 190 compounds were reported in its root, seed and
leaf oil (Naves, 1943; De Pooter et al., 1985; Toulemonde and Noleau, 1988; Cu et
al., 1990; Szebeni-Galambosi et al., 1992; Venskutonis, 1995; Bylaite et al., 1998;
Dauksas et al., 1998). The chemical composition of essential oils distilled from
separate botanical parts of this plant is rather different (Bylaite et al., 1998; Novak
and Nemeth, 2002; Dyduch et al., 2003). Volatile oil is composed of phthalides
(butylidene-, dihydrobutyliden-, butyl-, and propylidenephthalide; sedanonic anhydride;
cis- and trans-ligustilide; senkyunolide; isosenkyunolide, validene-4,5-dihydrophthalide)
with lesser amounts of terpenoids (a- and b-pinenes, a- and b-phellandrenes, g-
terpinene, carvacrol, eugenol, and l-a-terpineol) and volatile acids (butyric acid, iso-
valeric acid, maleic acid, angelic acid) (Gijbels et al., 1981, 1982; Toulemonde et al.,
1987; Cu et al., 1990; Hogg, 2001; Hogg et al., 2001; Ibrahim, 1999).
The most important compounds of essential oils from lovage are phthalides, which
constitute more than 70% of the total volatile oil from roots, 25% from the leaves,
14.5% from the stems, and about 6% from the seeds (Dauksas et al., 1998). The
chemical structures of major phthalides are shown in Fig. 26.1. It was found that the
flowers and seeds b-phellandrene (40.8% and 61.5%, respectively) were main
constituents, while a-terpinyl acetate (ª 70%) was reported as the principal constituent
of the leaves and stems oils (Bylaite et al., 1998). The oil of lovage fruits was
PropylidenephthalideO O O O
Dihydrobutylidenephthalide(E)-3-ButylidenephthalideO O(E)-LigustilideO O(Z)-LigustilideO O(Z)-3-ButylidenephthalideO OFig. 26.1 Chemical structures of major phthalides in the essential oil of lovage.