Chemical composition of the essential oils of Equisetum palustre L. and Equisetum telmateia Ehrh.

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of dry sterile steins of Equisetum palustre L. and Equisetum telmateia Ehrh. from Serbia were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. In total, one hundred ninety-five compounds were identified in the both oils, 103 in E. palustre and 171 in E. telmateia oil, accounting for more than 95.3% and 98.0% of the total oils, respectively. The major constituents of both E. palustre and E. telmateia oils were hexadecanoic acid (15.7%, 33.8%), (E)-phytol (16.7%, 4.6%) and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (10.6%, 13.1%), respectively. The oils were additionally marked by the presence of (E)-beta-ionone (4.1%, 3.2%), (E)-alpha-ionone (3.1%, 2.5%), heneicosane (3.5%, 2.1%) and tricosane (6.6%, 3.4%).