Wild Rhododendron tomentosum Harmaja shoots were collected from four localities of Estonia. Essential oils, isolated from dried samples by simultaneous distillation and extraction, were analysed using GC-FID and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry methods. The yields of oils were in the range 0.14-0.87%. A total of 72 constituents, accounting for over 95% of the total oil yield, were identified. The major components in the all four oils studied were palustrol (15.9-53.5%), ledol (11.8-18.3%), γ-terpineol (0-31.2%), p-cymene (0.1-13.9%), lepalone (0.7-6.5%), lepalol (1.0-6.5%) and cyclocolorenone (1.0-6.4%). Two different chemotypes of R. tomentosum were found in Estonia and one of them was rich in palustrol (41.0-53.5%) and ledol (14.6-18.3%). The second chemotype, for the first time, was rich in γ-terpineol (24.7-31.2%) and contained less of palustrol (15.9-16.7%) and ledol (11.8-12.8%), but more p-cymene (12.5-13.9%). Also, γ-terpineol was identified for the first time in the oils of R. tomentosum.

Variations in the essential oil content and composition in aerial parts of two tansy samples from different districts of Estonia were determined using hydrodistillation, GC and GC-MS techniques. The yields of the two oil samples were 0.4 and 0.5 % (w/w). Total 83 compounds identified in both the oils made up 98.4 % of each oil. The most important quantitative components in tansy oil from Harju district were transchrysanthenone (41.4 %), 1,8-cineole (9.6 %), β-pinene (6.5 %), α-pinene (5.0 %) and 6-camphenone (4.6 %). In the oil from Tartu district, β-thujone (47.2 %) and trans-chrysanthenyl acetate (30.7 %) predominated. Thus analyses results in assigning the Tanacetum vulgare of Harju and Tartu district as trans-chrysanthenone and β-thujone-trans-chrysanthenyl acetate chemotypes. For the first time, the β-thujone-trans-chrysanthenyl acetate chemotype was determined.

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