Chemical composition of essential oils and hydrosols from fresh flowers of Cerasus subhirtella and Cerasus serrulata from East China.

Essential oils and hydrosols from fresh flowers of Cerasus subhirtella (Miq.) Sok. and Cerasusserrulata (Lindl.) London from East China were analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the first time. The major components of the essential oils from C. subhirtella and C.serrulata were benzaldehyde (31.2% and 42.1%, respectively), tricosane (23.1% and 27.7%, respectively) and pentacosane (23.2% and 19.0%, respectively). The main constituents of the hydrosol volatiles from C. subhirtella and C.serrulata were benzaldehyde (67.5% and 64.3%, respectively) and mandelonitrile (12.5% and 12.4%, respectively). Benzaldehyde was the key component of the essential oils, while benzaldehyde as well as mandelonitrile was the principal compound of the hydrosols.