The authors have studied to elucidate the composition of the essential oil of the fruits from Perilla frutescens L. Brit. var. acuta Thunb. Kudo and Perilla frutescens L. Brit. var. acuta Thunb. Kudo f. discolor Makino. The essential oil was obtained by steam distillation of the fruits respectively. The essential oil was treated with 5% sodium bicarbonate solution, then with 5% sodium hydroxide solution, and was separated into the three fractions: neutral, phenol, and carboxylic acid fractions. The resulting each fraction was investigated by column chromatography, gas chromatography, infrared spectrum, mass spectrum, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum and chemical method. As a result, twenty compounds were detected as the constituents of Penile frutescens L. Brit. var. acuta Thunb. Kudo: α-pinene, camphene, β-pinene, myrcene, limonene, 3-octanol, 1-octen-3-ol, trans-linalool oxide, cis-linalool oxide, linalool, benzaldehyde, 10-pinanal, β-caryophylene, α-humulene, α-terpineol, carvone, perilla aldehyde, 10-pinanol, β-phenyl ethyl alcohol, perilla alcohol, n-C4-C8 aliphatic acids; and sixteen compounds were detected as the constituents of Perilla frutescens L. Brit. var. acuta Thunb. Kudo f. discolor Makino: α-pinene, camphene, β-pinene, myrcene, limonene, linalool, β-caryophylene, α-terpineol, carvone, perilla aldehyde, geraniol, benzyl alcohol, β-phenyl ethyl alcohol, 8-methyl-8-nonen-1-ol, perilla alcohol, elemicin and n-C6-C18 aliphatic acids. © 1976, Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry. All rights reserved.
