Chemical Composition Of The Volatile Components Of Tropaeolum Majus L. (garden Nasturtium) From North Western Algeria

Essential oil from Tropaeolum majus L. aerial parts, a plant native to North Western Algeria, was obtained by hydrodistillation. The oil volatile components were identified by a combination of gas chromatography/flame ionization detection (GC/FID), GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques, and NMR spectroscopy. Nine components representing 92.0 % of the essential oil total (GC/FID chromatogram) were identified. The most abundant compounds were benzyl isothiocyanate (82.5 %), benzene acetonitrile (3.9 %) and 2-phenylethyl isovalerate (2.9 %). Higher content in nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds accounting to 86.4 % of the volatile fraction composition of T. majus were quantified.