Essential oil composition of Valeriana officinalis L. roots cultivated in Iran: Comparative analysis between supercritical CO2 extraction and hydrodistillation

Abstract: The composition of essential oil extracted from Valeriana officinalis L. roots growing wild in Iran was studied by hydrodistillation and supercritical CO2 extraction. Forty-seven components representing 89.3% and 35 constituents varying from 86.1% to 95.1% of the oil obtained by hydrodistillation and supercritical CO2 were identified, respectively. The major components in the extracted oil from supercritical CO2 were isovaleric acid (18.7–41.8%), valerenic acid (8.2–11.8%), acetoxyvaleranone (5.6–9.6%), (Z)-valernyl acetate (4.5–6.5%), bornyl acetate (2.3–7.7%) and valerenol (3.7–5.2%), whereas by hydrodistillation were bornyl acetate (11.6%), valerenic acid (8.0%), (Z)-valernyl acetate (7.9%) and acetoxyvaleranone (7.6%). The analysis of the extracts was performed by capillary GC and GC/MS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]