Constituents of Olibanum Oil: Sesquiterpene Hydrocarbons

The sesquiterpene hydrocarbons of a commercial sample of olibanum oil were isolated and purified by a combination of techniques, including column chromatography, silver nitrate adduction, distillation, and preparative GLC. Most components were identified by their IR spectra. In some cases NMR spectra were used for identification. A total of 27 sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were identified: δ-elemene, α-cubebene, α-ylangene, α-copaene, β-bourbonene, α-gurjunene, β-elemene, transa- α-bergamotene, α-guaiene, β-ylangene, caryophyllene, β-copaene, aromadendrene, thujopsene, allo-aromadendrene, α–+ β-humulene, selina-4,ll-diene, γ-muurolene, α-muurolene,β-selinene, α-selinene, δ-cadinene, γ-cadinene, “cubenene”, β-cadinene, calamenene, and α-calacorene. The identification of β-ylangene and β1-cadinene are tentative.