Composition of North Indian Pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium) Flower Oil

The hydrodistilled oil obtained from the dried pyrethrum flowers (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium) was subjected to high resolution GC and GC-MS, leading to the quantification and identification of twenty two compounds representing (85.27%) of the total oil. trans-chrysanthemumic acid (19.61%), decanoic acid (7.63%), nerolidol (9.63%), spathulenol (4.58%), guaiol (5.93%), β-eudesmol (9.81%) and α-eudesmol (7.07%) were the major compounds. The oil of Indian species is uniquely different from the oil obtained from pyrethrum of Kenya’s origin.