SESQUITERPENE ETHERS FROM AUSTRALIAN MINTBUSH

Steam distillation of the leaf and terminal branchlets of Prostanthera sp. aff. ovalifolia growing in northeastern New South Wales gave 1–3% volatile oil containing 1,8-cineole, p-cymene, kessane and a novel C₁₅H₂₆O sesquiterpene.
The latter gave (+)--selinene on treatment with trimethyliodosilane.
COSY, FLOCK and nOe difference NMR experiments indicated cis-dihydroagarofuran.
Infraspecific oscillation between kessane and cis-dihydroagarofuran as major component in Prostanthera was noted and hedycaryol proposed as a plausible common precursor.
Ethanolic extract screening of populations established that sesquiterpene ether content was related to geographic location.

International Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

Ian A. Southwell, David J. Tucker

Prostanthera sp. aff. ovalifolia, purple mintbush, Lamiaceae, essential oil, kessane, cis-dihydroagarofuran, hedycaryol, biogenesis, chemotaxonomy

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.344.50