Anil J. John, Vrujesh P. Karunakaran, and Varughese George* and Mathur G. Sethuraman

Abstract: Essential oils from leaves and fruits of Heracleum candolleanum were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The major components in the leaf oil were sabinene (13.2%), limonene (9.2%), β−caryophyllene (8.6%) and caryophyllene oxide (8.4%), whereas the major constituents in the fruit oil were limonene (70.0%) and octyl acetate (7.2%).

<i>Heracleum</i> (Apiaceae) is predominantly a temperate genus comprising of about 60 species (1). About 23 species occur in India (2). Indian species are confined to three geographical areas, namely Himalayas, northeastern India and Peninsular India (1). <i>Heracleum candolleanum</i> (Wight et Arn.) Gamble, an endemic species of Western Ghats, is a large perennial herb with tuberous roots commonly found in the hills and mountains of Peninsular India at higher altitudes (3). The plant is used in folk and tribal medicine for various purposes. The Kani tribes administer decoction of the whole plant internally for nervous disorders and inflammatory condition. The decoction of the root of this plant is used by the tribals as an antiarthritic and nerve tonic. The root oil is used for inflammation. The fruit is used as an aphrodisiac (4). A number of furanocoumarins and two monoterpenoids were reported from the fruits and roots of <i>H. candolleanum</i> (5,6). Plants belonging to the genus <i>Heracleum</i> are aromatic and are excellent sources of essential oils. The chemical composition of the oils from a number of <i>Heracleum</i> species have been previously reported (7–9). Different octyl esters, especially octyl acetate, is reported to be the major component in most of the oils investigated (10–12). In an earlier communication, we have reported the composition of the rhizome oil of <i>H. candolleanum</i> (13). Here we report the chemical composition of the oils from the leaves and fruits of <i>H. candolleanum</i>.