Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics

in-7-D-glucoside), apigenin-7-O-glucoside,
and acetylated derivatives thereof, apiin (api-
genin-7-apiosylglucoside), quercetin, rutin
(quercetin-3-rutinoside), luteolin, patuletin,
and quercimeritrin (quercetin-7-D-glucoside),
among others; coumarins, including aescule-
tin, scopoletin, scopoletin-7-b-glucoside,
umbelliferone (7-hydroxycoumarin) and its
methyl ether (herniarin); proazulenes (matri-
cin, matricarin, etc.); triterpene alcohols
(a- andb-amyrin, lupeol, taraxerol); sterols
(campesterol, cholesterol, sitostanol, sitoster-
ol, stigmasterol, taraxasterol, etc.); sesquiter-
penes (()-a-bisabolol oxides A, B, and C,
cadinene, calamene, chamazulene, matricin,
spathulenol, and others); plant acids (anisic,
caffeic, syringic, and vanillic) and fatty
acids (linoleic, oleic, and others; tannins
(catechin and gallic); water-soluble polysac-
charides; choline; amino acids; and others
(JIANGSU; LIST AND HO ̈RHAMMER; MCKENNA;
STAHL;WICHTL).1–7
The volatile oil contains sesquiterpenoids,
including matricarin and matricin and the
fragrant constituent farnesol. Matricin and its
degradation product, chamazulene, are mainly
responsible for the characteristic blue colora-
tion; chamazulene, farnesene, ()-a-bisabo-
lol oxides A, B, and C, spathulenol,E- and
Z-en-yn-dicycloether are the major constitu-
ents, with their relative concentrations varying
considerably, depending on the sources
(JIANGSU; LIST AND HO ̈RHAMMER; MCKENNA:
STAHL;WICHTL).8–16
Roman chamomile contains 0.6–2.4% vol-
atile oil that mainly consists of angeloyl,
isobutyryl, methacryl, and tigloyl esters of
aliphatic alcohols (isobutanol, amylalcohol,
3-phenylpropanol, and others); also, bisabo-
lol, chamzulene, pinocarvone, and others.
Other constituents include about 0.6% of bit-
ter sesquiterpene lactones (germacranolides
and guaianolides), which include nobilin,
3-epinobilin, 1,10-epoxynobilin, 3-dehydro-
nobilin, 4a-hydroperoxyromanolide, and
others; flavonoids (apigenin, apigenin-7-O-
glucoside, apigetrin, apiin, anthemoside,
chamaemeloside, quercitrin, luteolin-7-O-
glucoside, etc.); coumarins, phenolic acids;

acetylenes; choline; fatty acids; and others

(LIST AND HO ̈RHAMMER;WICHTL).17,18

The volatile oil contains mainly (ca. 85%)

esters of angelic and tiglic acids (e.g., butyl,

amyl, isoamyl, and hexyl angelates or ti-

glates). The major constituents are 2-methyl-

butyl angelate and isobutyl angelate. Other

constituents reported to be present include

amyl angelate,a-pinene, farnesol, nerolidol,

chamazulene, myrcene,l-trans-pinocarveol,

l-trans-pinocarvone, and 1,8-cineole, among

others; the last two terpenoids, reported to be

present in greatest quantity in Roman chamo-

mile oil, which is held to have the highest

content in esters of any known essential oil.^1

Relative concentrations of the constituents

vary, depending on sources of the oil (ARCTAN-

DER;MARTINDALE;WICHTL).18–22

The dark blue to blue-green color of cham-

omile oils is due to azulenes, formed by

steam distillation or exposure to acidic pH,

from proazulenes (azulene from matricarin,

chamazulene from matricin). Guaiazulene

(1,4-dimethyl-7-isopropylazulene), as blue as

chamazulene (1,4-dimethyl-7-ethylazulene)

but less biologically active, is synthetically

available and has been used as an adulterant to

increase the blueness of commercial chamo-

mile extracts. Chamazulene and biabolol are

very unstable, resulting in discharge of blue

color on aging of chamomile oil.^23

Adulteration of commercial chamomile oil

and chamomile preparations with essential

oil of the wood of the Brazilian treeVanillos-

mopsiserythropappaSchultzBip.wasnotedto

be widespread in the last decade. The cheaper

Brazilian oil contains almost exclusively ()-

a-bisabolol, which can only be detected by

Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS).^24

PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL

ACTIVITIES

An extract of German chamomile inhibited

the formation indomethacin-induced ulcers

in rats.^25 Addition of German chamomile to

the diet of rats suppressed chemically in-

duced itching.^26 The oil has bactericidal and

170 Chamomile (german and roman)