An Examination of the Essential Oils of Tasmanian Kunzea ambigua, Other Kunzea spp. and Commercial Kunzea Oil.

Commercial kunzea oil (Ducane kunzea oil) was analyzed by GC/MS and GC-FID and its composition was compared with that of oils from four individual Kunzea ambigua plants and five other Kunzea spp. A total of 64 components were detected in the studied oils. Ducane kunzea oil contained monoterpenes (70%) including α-pinene (48.3%), 1,8-cineole (14.5%) and α-terpineol (1.9%). Oils from individual K. ambigua plants varied significantly in their content of α-pinene (0.6-62.5%), 1,8-cineole (0-11.2%), bicyclogermacrene (0.4-14%), spathulenol (0.5-12.2%), globulol (0.5-22.6%) and viridiflorol (0.3-38%). The oils from five other Kunzea spp. had significant compositional differences from each K. ambigua oil. Kunzea sp. "Badja Carpet" had a high b-pinene content (56.1%), K. muelleri contained significant levels of allo-aromadendrene (8.0%), spathulenol (7.0%) and, among all the analyzed oils, it had the highest level of bicyclogermacrene (15.7%). Kunzea affinis contained significant levels of p-cymene (26.2%) and γ-terpinene (12.2%). Kunzea parvifolia gave an oil rich in γ-terpinene (36.5%) and p-cymene (5.0%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]