Chemical Composition of the Oil from Chamomile Grown in Mexico

Matricaria recutita L. Rauschert (Asteraceae), commonly known as “manzanilla”, is one of the most important species widely commercialized in the main markets of Mexico for treating gastrointestinal disorders. The chemical composition of eight batches of chamomile aerial parts essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation was accomplished via GC-MS analysis. In total, 37 volatile components were identified and the analysis of each sample revealed that the most important features were the presence of β-farnesene (7 – 14%), caryophyllene oxide (1 – 4%), xanthoxylin (4 – 16%), and spiroethers (10 – 36%). None of the samples contained chamazulene as most European species do. Hence, xanthoxylin (1) was adopted as the marker compound of the oil of Mexican chamomile. Afterward, a suitable HPLC-DAD method for quantifying 1 was developed and validated.