Analysis of the volatile concentrate of the leaves and flowers of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) Don ssp. microphyllum (Willd.) Nyman (Asteraceae) by supercritical fluid extraction and their essential oils

Helichrysum italicum ssp. microphyllum extract was isolated by supercritical CO2 extraction with a fractional separation technique. Operative conditions were: extractor, 90 bar and 50 degrees C for 240 min; first separator, 90 bar and -10 degrees C; second separator, 15 bar and 15 degrees C. GC/MS analysis of the leaf volatile concentrate revealed that it mainly consisted of neryl acetate (26.0%), nerol (9.1%), neryl propionate (6.7%). gamma-curcumene (10.8%) and cis-dihydrooccidentalol (4.3%). The differences observed between the composition of the SFE volatile concentrate and the hydrodistilled oil were minor.