Chemical composition of angelica root oil.

The volatile constituents of angelica root separated by extraction with etherpentane and by extraction with alcohol-water were investigated by means of glass capillary and preparative gas chromatography, IR, UV, NMR and mass spectrometry. 16 monoterpene hydrocarbons, 13 sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, 12 monoterpene alcohols, 4 oxygenated sesquiterpenes, 11 esters, 3 lactones, 7 aliphatic carbonyl compounds and 4 aromatics were identified. Twenty additional compounds identified were present only in the alcoholic sample. These consisted of ethyl ethers of monoterpene alcohols, ethyl esters of long-chain fatty acids, and acetals. The relative proportion of many compounds was found to depend on the method used to isolate the essential oil.