Detection and analysis of the volatile components in the essential oils of Chrysanthemum and Opisthopappus species and their hybrid progeny

Chrysanthemum and Opisthopappus are genera that include perennial herbaceous floral species, including excellent varieties with strong fragrances resulting from long-term artificial selection. Thus, they are ornamentally and economically important flower resources. In this study, a water distillation method was used to extract essential oils from the inflorescences of Chrysanthemum and Opisthopappus wild resources and hybrid progeny with high essential oil contents (Chrysanthemum morifolium 'xiangjin', C. morifolium 'xiangyun', C. morifolium 'xinjiboju', Opisthopappus taihangensis, Opisthopappus longilobus, Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium, and C. morifolium 'minghuangju'). The essential oil extraction rates were as follows: 1.17‰, 2‰, 1.67‰, 2.17‰, 0.43‰, 1‰, and 1.17‰. On the basis of HS-SPME-GC-MS (Headspace solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), 225 volatile compounds were detected in the seven analyzed essential oil samples. Each essential oil had a relative volatile component content exceeding 0.3. The three most abundant compounds were olefins (46 types), alcohols (34 types), and esters (18 types). The volatile components with relatively high contents included thymol, D-camphor, pinene, eucalyptol, 2-terpineol, terpineol, trans-caryophyllene, and β-elemene. These volatile compounds have strong biological activities and are useful components of medicines and daily-use products. An evaluation of their antibacterial effects demonstrated that the essential oils of C. 'xiangjin', C. 'xiangyun', C. 'xinjiboju', O. taihangensis, O. longilobus, and C. 'minghuangju' inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli. The C. lavandulifolium essential oil inhibited the growth of Pectobacterium carotovorum. The results of this study will provide researchers with an important theoretical basis for the development and application of Chrysanthemum and Opisthopappus essential oils.