Chemical variability of the volatiles of Copaifera langsdorffii growing wild in the Southeastern part of Brazil

Abstract

Volatiles obtained from leaves, branches, pericarps and seeds of five specimens (Tree 1–5) of Copaifera langsdorffii growing wild in the municipality of Lavras, Southeastern part of Brazil were obtained by hydrodistillation (HD) and investigated by gas chromatography/flame ionization detector (GC/FID) and gas/chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The results of the oil compositions were processed by Hierarchical Component Analysis (HCA) allowing establish two main groups and further divided in six subgroups, which were defined by different concentrations of the six main compounds. The results showed high intra-population variability in the composition and concentration of the compounds. Major compounds were β-caryophyllene, germacrene D, spathulenol, caryophyllene oxide and iso-spathulenol. Coumarin was encountered only in the seeds of C. langsdorffii.