Chemical Composition of the Twig Oil of Litsea mollis from China

The essential oil from the twig of Litsea mollis was isolated using hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus, and characterized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 39 compounds were identified, representing 89.27% of the oil. Among the twig oil compounds, oxygenated monoterpenes (39.06%) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (36.62%) were predominant (75.68% in total). Among the oxygenated monoterpenes, eucalyptol (9.9%), (R)-citronellol (7.23%), (R)-citronellal (7.0%), and (Z)-citral (5.03%) were the major compounds. Of the sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, β-caryophyllene (7.96%), (-)-α-panasinsene (6.31) and a-Caryophyllene (6.28%) were the main components.