Major volatile compounds in the essential oil of the aromatic culinary herb pelargonium crispum (Geraniaceae)

The aromatic culinary herb Pelargonium crispum is used as a condiment across the world to confer a lemony aroma to food. The phytochemistry of one cultivar of unknown origin has been tentatively described in earlier studies, with only the dominant volatile components assigned as neral and geranial and with chrysin as the major flavone. In the current study a more detailed chemistry of the essential oils is given, and the major flavanone in the leaves is assigned as (2S)-(-)-pinocembrin, a dihydro derivative of chrysin. The predominance of neral and geranial is confirmed and a number of related oxide and phenylpropanoid ester derivatives are assigned. A major outcome is the realization that the wild specimens sampled by us displays different chemistry to the chemotype previously described.