Composition of essential oils of Gaillardia megapotamica and Gaillardia cabrerae from Argentina

The composition of the essential oil obtained by water distillation of the aerial parts of Gaillardia megapotamica var. scabiosoides, collected in two different regions of Argentina, was compared with the composition of the oil of Argentinean G. megapotamica var. radiata and G. cabrerae. In total, 53 compounds were identified, of which α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, β-caryophyllene, spathulenol and caryophyllene oxide were found as the major components. The oils of the different Gaillardia species analyzed were rather similar. The total yield of volatiles from G. megapotamica var. radiata was considerably lower than that from G. megapotamica var. scabiosoides.