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The volatile compounds from roots, stems, and leaves of Valeriana hardwickii and Valeriana officinalis were obtained by microdistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography–flame ionization detector (GC–FID) and gas chromatography–mass spectometry (GC–MS). In V. hardwickii, sixty-two, thirty-one, and thirty-one components were identified representing 90, 90, and 92% of total oil in the roots, stems, and leaves, respectively. The major compounds in the root oil were camphene (12.9%), bornyl acetate (17.6%), and maaliol (10.6%), while borneol (6.2%), trans-anethole (32.7%), and maaliol (6.3%) were the dominant components in the stem oil and camphene (12.6%), bornyl acetate (15.0%), and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (9.2%) were the principal components in the leaf oil. In V. officinalis, bornyl acetate (7.8%), δ-elemene (9.3%), and valerenal (14.7%) were the dominant components in the roots among fifty-four compounds identified which accounted for 80% of the total oil. In contrast to V. hardwickii, the stems and...

The content of essential oil and valerenic acids and the yield of roots were analyzed in valerian cultivar ‘Polka’ and strain no. 4 during the nine following phases: the beginning of vegetation, spring rosette, pedicel development, the beginning of flowering, full bloom, seed harvest, three weeks after the seed harvest, fall rosette, and after the first frost. The yield of valerian roots was different at the investigated phases and in years of cultivation, while tested genotypes produced similar root yields. The highest contents of essential oil and valerenic acids were obtained at different phases by the tested genotypes: strain no. 4 in full bloom (1.3% and 0.266%, respectively) and cultivar ‘Polka’ three weeks after seed harvest (1.25%) and during seed harvest (0.218%). The lowest contents of the investigated substances were detected at the beginning of growth and after the first frost in both genotypes. The obtained results revealed significant differences in essential oil and valerenic acids...

The volatile constituents from roots of Valeriana officinalis L. were investigated using GC and GC/MS methods. Valerianae radix samples were obtained from retail pharmacies of different European countries. The roots of 15 V. offcinalis samples yielded 0.19–1.16% essential oil on a dry weight basis. The basic oil components among the identified 86 compounds were bornyl acetate (2.9–33.7%), α-fenchene (0–28.3%), valerianol (0.2–18.2%), valerenal (tr-15.6%), isovaleric acid (0–13.1%), camphene (0–11.1%) and valeranone (0.5–10.9%). Bornyl acetate/valerenal chemotype was characteristic for 9 of the 15 samples of valerian roots from different European countries. Some samples did not contain α-fenchene and camphene (Germany, Czech), isovaleric acid (France, Moldova, Russia 2) and valerianic acid (Estonia, Ukraine 1, Scotland, Moldova, Russia 1). Valerian root oil from Estonia was rich in essential oil, bornyl acetate (33.7%), valerianol (16.8%) and valeranone (9.5%).

The essential oils obtained from air-dried subterranean parts of Valeriana officinalis ssp. collina (Wallr.) Nyman (Valerianaceae), ‘Shipka,’ was analyzed by GC and GC/MS, and 62 components were identified. The oil yield, collected in plants grown in 1995 and 1998, was 0.42% (v/m) and 0.40% (v/m) respectively, related to the air-dried roots. Two new sesquiterpenes, (–)-pacifigorgia-l(6),10-diene and (–)-valerena-4,7(11)-diene were identified for the first time in both oils. Some major constituents were bornyl acetate (6.0%-7.3%), spathulenol (5.2%-4.1%), valeranone (12.0%-6.8%), valerenal (9.1%-8.5%), α-kessyl acetate (2.1%-6.2%) and (–)-valerena-4,7(11)-diene (7.2%-4.6%).

The oil obtained by hydrodistillation from underground parts of Valeriana officinalis L. s.l., growing wild on Tara Mountain (western Serbia), was analyzed by means of GC/MS. Fifty-three components, representing 90.7% of the oil, were identified. The main characteristic of this valerian essential oil was the presence of valerianol (57.3%) and bornyl acetate (11.3%).

In order to prove the correct relative and absolute stereochemistry of the sesquiterpene ether (−)-kessane that was recently synthesized by us, its chromatographic retention, mass and 1H-NMR spectrum and optical rotation were compared with that of natural kessane. Natural kessane was isolated by means of fractionated vacuum distillation and repeated medium-pressure liquid chromatography from the essential oil of Valeriana officinalis. The recorded data confirm that the two compounds are identical. Further, by means of one- and two-dimensional 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy at 600 MHz, it was possible to assign all protons and determine all coupling constants in the 1H-NMR spectrum. The NMR data are in full agreement with the relative stereochemistry proposed in the original work on kessane.

The essential oil from roots and rhizomes of Valeriana officinalis L., ‘Shipka’ grown in Bulgaria was investigated by GC/MS. The essential oil yield from the roots and rhizomes was 0.42 % and 0.18%, respectively. The basic components, among the identified 22 were β-guaiene (4,6–11,2%), valeranone (6.8–11.5%) and bornyl acetate (7.3–9.8%). Spathulenol was also identified (2.0–4.5%). There were no substantial qualitative differences between oils obtained either by water or steam distillation.