Effect of harvest date and steam distillation time on essential oils of three eucalyptus species growing in El-Kassasin region [electronic resource].

Includes reference.

In Egypt Eucalyptus species are presently used as poles, windbreak and firewood but not for oil extraction. Egyptian imports of eucalyptus oils are increasing from year to another. This study was aimed to increase the Eucalyptus species value as non- wood products by determining the suitable harvest date and the time of steam distillation on yield and contents of the essential oils of Eucalyptus species . This work was carried out in 2001 on 13 yr-old trees irrigated by drip irrigation in soil under reclamation.The yields of essential oils extracted from dried leaves of Eucalyptus citriodora, E. gomphocephala and E. camaldulensis growing at the Experimental Farm of El-Kassasin, 80km. East of Cairo were studied. The highest oil yields were obtained in summer, followed by spring and winter with the lowest yield in autumn for both E. citriodora and E. gomphocephala, while, the highest yield of E. camaldulensis was obtained in spring followed by autumn and summer, with the lowest yield in winter. Twenty components were identified by GCrMS. In the three Eucalyptus species 90% of the isolated oils were obtained after 90 min. distillation and contained maximal amounts of citronellal 71.3% for E. citriodora oil and 52.9% and 31.2% ,1.8 cineole for E. gomphocephala and E. camaldulensis oils, respectively.

Summary in Arabic.

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