Abstract
Results of GC and GC-MS analysis of essential oil isolated from doum fruits (Hyphaene thebaica) revealed the presence of fifty-seven compounds. Fifty of them could be identified with monoterpenes represent 15.97 % including compounds such as sabinene (0.82 %), beta-pinene (1.98 %), limonene (2.42 %), terpinen 4-ol (1.77 %) %), alpha-terpineol (0.95 %). While diterpenes represent 40.49 %, of which incensole (17.52 %) and incensole acetate (19.81 %) were found to be the main components. Oxygenated compounds constituted 66.78 % of the total compounds identified which indicated the economical value of this oil. The scent of doum oil fruits may be attributed to the presence of volatile diterpenes as cembrene A, cembrene C, incensole and incensole acetate; these compounds are reported here for the first time in family Palmae.