Essential oils in some Stachys species growing in Hungary

The volatile oil compositions of five Stachys species (Stachys officinalis L., St. grandiflora Host., St. byzantina Koch., St. germanica L. and St. sylvatica L.) have been studied using a GC/MS technique. All species gave low yields of oil. From St. officinalis 38 compounds were separated and partly identified, from St. grandiflora 24, St. byzantina 30, St. germanica 29 and St. sylvatica 43. All the samples contained o-ocymene, beta-phellandrene, gamma-terpinene, linalool, trans- and cis-pinocamphone, beta-caryophyllene, delta-cadinene and a-cadinol. The steam distilled oils were poor in mono- but rich in sesquiterpenes. Some of the sesquiterpenes, like germacrene D, epi-cubebol, and alpha- and gamma-muurolene are reported in Stachys species for the first time. The iridoids, harpagide and 8-O-acetyl-harpagide, were identified by TLC in the MeOH extracts of St. sylvatica, St. byzantina, St. officinalis (Betonica officinalis) and Betonica serotina. Taking other chemical constituents also into account Stachys species seem to be similar to those of the subfam. Lamioideae (according to Erdtman's classification).