Volatile compositions of three critically endangered and endemic species of the genus Crocus L (Iridiaceae) and their comparision with C. sativus L. (Saffron

Abstract

This study was carried out upon chemical researches of three species Crocus L. that distribute in Central Anatolia (Eskişehir), Turkey. The volatile compounds were obtained by microdistillation of the stylus, stigma-tepal parts of three critically endangered and endemic species of the genus Crocus L., viz. C. chrysanthus (Herb.) Herb., C. antalyensis B. Mathew and C. ancyrensis (Herb.) Maw, and the stylus, stigma parts of C. sativus L. and the volatiles were analyzed by GC and GC-MS, simultaneously. Ethyl cinnamate (14.8%), heptanal (14%), and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (12.8%) were detected as main constituents in sample of C. chrysanthus. Hexanal (17.7%), nonanal (17.1%), and undecanal (14.7%) were found as main constituents in sample of C. antalyensis. β-Isophorone (14.4%), heptanal (11.5%), and heneicosane (8.5%) were found as main constituents in sample of C. ancyrensis. Safranal (77.9%), α-isophorone (13.5%), and β-isophorone (2.2%) were detected as main constituents in sample of C. sativus. In addition, chemical structures of C. ancyrensis, C. chrysanthus and C. antalyensis are given in this study for the first time.