Chemical composition and biological activity of Nepeta parnassica oils and isolated nepetalactones

  • Z Naturforsch C J Biosci. 2003 Sep-Oct;58(9-10):681-6. doi: 10.1515/znc-2003-9-1015.
Giorgos Gkinis  1 ,  Olga Tzakou ,  Dimitra Iliopoulou ,  Vassilios Roussis
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, Athens 15771, Greece.
PMID: 14577631 DOI: 10.1515/znc-2003-9-1015
Abstract

Essential oils of Nepeta parnassica, collected at different developmental stages, were analyzed by means of GC/MS. From the fifty-five identified constituents in samples A and B, representing 94.8% and 98.7% of the oils respectively, 4a(alpha),7alpha,7alpha(beta)-nepetalactone (22.0%), 1,8-cineole (21.1%), alpha-pinene (9.5%) and 4a(alpha),7,beta,7alpha(beta)-nepetalactone (7.9%) were the major components of sample A (vegetative stage), whereas in sample B (flowering stage) the main contributors were 1,8-cineole (34.6%), 4a(alpha),7alpha,7a(alpha)-nepetalactone (17.3%), alpha-pinene (11.4%) and 4a(alpha),7alpha,7alpha(beta)-nepetalactone (8.9%). The oils were tested on human health important insects such as the Pogonomyrmex sp. ants and the Culex pipiens molestus mosquitoes with promising results on insect repellency/toxicity.

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