Chemical composition of essential oils from a multiple shoot culture of Telekia speciosa and different plant organs.

The composition of essential oil from Telekia speciosa leaves, flowers, roots, stems and in vitro regenerated shoots was studied by GC-MS-FID leading to the determination of 112 compounds. The qualitative composition of the essential oil from the examined plant material was similar, whereas quantities of individual components of the oils varied widely depending on the kind of plant material. The most striking differences were observed between the oils produced by aerial and underground parts of the intact plant, as well as between oils produced by in vitro grown shoots and leaves of the intact plant. The main volatiles of leaf essential oil were: (E,E)-famesol (21.2%) and (E)-nerolidol (17.9%), while isoalantolactone was the predominant component of the root (62.3%) and flower oils (23.0%). Numerous thymol derivatives were also found, among them 10-isobutyryloxy-8,9-epoxythymol isobutyrate, which was one of the main components found in the flower oil (20.5%) and that from the in vitro cultures (20.2%).