Comparison of essential oil content and composition in two German chamomile (Matricaria chamomile L.) genotypes

Two German chamomile genotypes (wild and domestic) were investigated for essential oil content and composition. Wild and domestic chamomile flowers were collected from Noor-Abad and Karaj regions and dried before essential oil extraction using distillation method. Essential oil components were identified by analytical gas-chromatography and mass spectrometry. Results revealed that essential oil efficiency in domestic and wild chamomile was recorded as 0.87 and 0.77%, respectively. Amongst fifteen different components identified in essential oil samples, (E)-a-farnesene, a -bisabolol oxide A and B and chamazulene were found to be the major components with frequency of 12.86, 31.86, 5.24 and 6.16% in domestic species and 8.83, 2.52, 1.81 and 55.606% in wild species. Irrespective of slight reduction in essential oil content and its components, wild German chamomile genotype can be used as valuable source in future domestication programmes.