Essential Oil Characterization of Paeonia arietina G. Anderson (Paeoniaceae)

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the essential oil composition of Paeonia arietina G. Anderson. Plant samples were collected from the sloped areas near Dikme Village in Bingöl Province, and the essential oil was obtained through hydrodistillation. The resulting oil was analyzed using GC-MS, revealing 30 compounds comprising 82.70% of the total composition. The major constituent was methyl salicylate (27.34%), followed by palmitic acid (14.73%) and salicylaldehyde (10.0%). Additionally, biologically active compounds such as thymol (3.20%), stearic acid (6.82%), trans-myrtenal (2.20%), and α-methyl cinnamaldehyde (2.30%) were identified. Given the known antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of these constituents, the essential oil of P. arietina appears to have promising pharmacological and therapeutic potential. This research aims to contribute to the phytotherapeutic evaluation of this species.