Essential oil composition of some plants of family zygophyllaceae and euphorbiaceae

Our objectives were to find out the chemical constituents of some selected plants of family zygophyllaceae and euphorbiaceae collected from peshawar and attock hills during 2009,by gc/ms. the oil obtained from three analysed plants of family zygophyllaceae showed that oxygenated monoterpenes were the highest (90.99%) in tribulus terrestris,followed by fagonia cretica (89.94%) and the lowest (36.01%) found in peganum harmala. peganum harmala had maximum esters (11.58%) followed by tribulus terrestris (5.8%) and fagonia cretica (5.5%). monoterpenes hydrocarbons were the highest (1.22%) in fagonia cretica followed by peganum harmala and absent in tribulus terrestris. sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons were maximum (11.01%) in peganum harmala and absent in tribulus terrestris. the analysis of essential oils revealed that fagonia cretica oils had 17 compounds that constituted 100% of the oil composition. oxygenated monoterpenes (89.94%),were a major group of compounds. peganum harmala oil had 18 compounds. there were 10 compounds in tribulus terrestris oil that consisted 100% of the total oil composition. eight compounds were identified in chrozophora tinctoria oils giving complete oil composition. it had oxygenated monoterpenes (86.93%),constituting 2(4h) - benzofuranone,5,6,7,7a tetrahydro-4,4,7a-trimethy (50.718%). ricinus communis. oil had 8 compounds with 100% of the oil composition. the present study exhibited that phytochemical attributes and chemical composition of the studied plants have potential uses for food,pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry in future. detailed research work on the antioxidant principles and biological activities of the studied plants is further recommended. © 2014,pak. j. bot. all rights reserved.