The composition of the essential oil of the flowers of Chloranthus spicatus (Thunb.) Makino
(Chloranthaceae) was investigated using capillary GC-GC/MS, preparative GC and NMR techniques. Fortyseven
compounds were identified either by comparing their retention indices and mass spectra with a library
of authentic samples established under identical experimental conditions or, by isolating the compounds and
deriving their structures by one- and two-dimensional NMR investigations. Thus, four minor components,
viz. chloranthalactone A (0.5%), isogermafurenolide (0.7%), eudesma-4(15),7(11),9-trien-12-olide (0.5%),
and 7?-hydroxyeudesm-4-en-6-one (3.3%), were isolated for the first time as constituents of the essential oil
of the flowers of C. spicatus and their structures established. The major components of the oil include (Z)-?-
ocimene (6.3%), allo-aromadendrene (6.2%), sarisane (2-allyl-4,5-methylenedioxyanisol, 4.2%) and selina-
4(15),7(11)-diene (6.4%). Copyright ?? 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
