Essential Oil and Quinolizidine Alkaloids of Retama Raetam (Forssk) Webb & Berthel (Fabaceae) Grown in Jordan

Abstract

Retama raetam essential oils (EOs) and quinolizidine alkaloids (QA) composition were studied. A quantitative analysis using a GC-MS analysis of the flowers revealed the presence of monoterpenes (47.62%), monoterpene hydrocarbons (28.6%) and oxygenated monoterpenes (14.3%) and sesquiterpenes (47.6%), exclusively sesquiterpenes hydrocarbon. The principal oil component was 49% mesitylene. The young twigs of R. reatam revealed the presence of quinolizidine alkaloids (QA). The alkaloids identified were 5,6-dehydrolupanine, β-isolupanine, 17-oxolupanine, anagyrine, β-isospartine, and spartine; 17-oxolupanine was the major alkaloid in the twigs.