Chemical composition of the essential oil of Phlomis linearis Boiss. & Bal., and biological effects on the CAM-assay: a safety evaluation.

Phlomis linearis Boiss. & Bal. of the Lamiaceae family growing in central, east and southeast Anatolia is an endemic species for Turkey. The essential oil obtained from the aerial parts by hydro distillation was subsequently analyzed by GC/MS. The main components of the oil were found as beta-caryophyllene (24.2%), germacrene D (22.3%) and caryophyllene oxide (9.2%), among 49 identified compounds, representing 94.5% of the total essential oil. The overall biological activity of the essential oil (100 microg/pellet) was tested on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of the fertilized hen's egg in order to examine the anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory activity. None of the tests showed pronounced activity, toxicity or irritation at the tested concentration.