Chemical composition of the essential oil of bitter fennel (Foeniculum vulgare subsp. piperitum)

The composition of the essential oil obtained by steam distillation from seeds of bitter fennel (Foeniculum vulgare subsp. piperitum) was analysed by GC/MS. The presence of atleast seventeen compounds was demonstrated. They correspond to 99.95% of the oil. Methyl chavicol was the main constituent of the oil (47.09%), followed by limonene (29.07%), fenchone 03.43%), a-terpinene (2.5%), fenchyl acetate (exo) 0.95%) and cis-b-ocimene (1.41%). Trans-anethole was not detected. Therefore, it is concluded that the oil of Turkish bitter fennel is rich in methyl chavicol. &nbsp