Seasonal variation in chemical constituents of Santolina rosmarinifolia L. ssp. rosmarinifolia.

The seasonal variation of the essential oil extracts from the aerial parts of a Santolina rosmarinifolia population has been studied. Oil yields increased in the months of March, April, May and June. Oil concentration showed significant correlations with both precipitation (positive) and temperature (negative). Essential oil main components were sabinene, beta-pinene, myrcene, beta-phellandrene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, artemisia ketone, terpinen-4-ol, capillene, ar-curcumene and beta-eudesmol. Monoterpenes like beta-phellandrene, limonene and 1,8-cineole showed a significant negative correlation with temperature, while capillene presented a strong positive correlation with precipitation. The rest of the essential oil components did not show any noticeable trend.