Comparative Chemical Research in Essential Oils from Six Apiaceae Species Growing in the Northern Region of Vietnam

Our study aimed to compare the essential oil(EO)concentration and composition of several Apiaceae species growing in the Northern region of Vietnam.The yields of EOs from materials ranged from 0.03%(root EO of Angelica acutiloba and aerial parts EO of Heracleum bivittatum)-0.27%(leaf EO of Xyloselinum vietnamense).Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)allowed the identification of 74 components in the EOs of six Apiaceae species,making up 94.4%–100.0%of the oils.In EO from Angelica acutiloba,(Z)-ligustilide accounted for an extremely large proportion(94.9%).EO of Angelica pubescens was dominated by six character-istic components includingα-pinene(21.5%),β-phellandrene(18.1%),p-cymene(12.2%),3-methylnonane(8.7%),o-cymene(8.1%),and D-sylvestrene(6.2%).The EO from Cryptotaenia japonica was characterized by high amounts ofα-selinene(48.7%),β-selinene(23.7%),and trans-β-farnesene(5.4%).The EOs from leaves and stems of Xyloselinum vietnamense were characterized by high concentrations of sabinene(69.8%and 33.8%),4-terpineol(8.7%and 7.4%)andβ-pinene(4.0%and 6.5%)while EOs from aerial parts and root of Xylo-selinum leonidii comprise four characteristic monoterpenes includingα-pinene(28.2%and 52.8%),β-pinene(7.9%and 10.3%),β-phellandrene(7.6%and 15.3%),and sabinene(3.0%and 4.1%).Additionally,cryptone is also one of the major components in the EO of Xyloselinum leonidii(13.2%in the aerial parts oil and 2.8%in the root oil).In the EOs isolated from the aerial parts and root of Heracleum bivittatum,α-pinene(22.5%and 70.2%)andβ-pinene(43.2%and 20.0%)were the predominant monoterpenes.Sabinene appeared in the EO from aerial parts of Heracleum bivittatum with a relatively high concentration(13.5%)while bornyl acetate(5.1%)was also one of the main components in the EO from its aerial parts but was not detected in other Apiaceae species in the present study.These databases help identify and control the quality of plant material studied from the family Apiaceae growing in Vietnam.

Ecoregional variations of aboveground biomass and stand structure in evergreen broadleaved forests

Biotic and abiotic factors control aboveground biomass(AGB)and the structure of forest ecosystems.This study analyses the variation of AGB and stand structure of evergreen broadleaved forests among six ecoregions of Vietnam.A data set of 1731-ha plots from 52 locations in undisturbed old-growth forests was developed.The results indicate that basal area and AGB are closely correlated with annual precipitation,but not with annual temperature,evaporation or hours of sunshine.Basal area and AGB are positively correlated with trees>30 cm DBH.Most areas surveyed(52.6%)in these old-growth forests had AGB of 100–200 Mg ha^-1;5.2%had AGB of 400–500 Mg ha^-1,and 0.6%had AGB of>800 Mg ha^-1.Seventy percent of the areas surveyed had stand densities of 300–600 ind.ha^-1,and 64%had basal areas of 20–40 m^2 ha^-1.Precipitation is an important factor influencing the AGB of old-growth,evergreen broadleaved forests in Vietnam.Disturbances causing the loss of large-diameter trees(e.g.,>100 cm DBH)affects AGB but may not seriously affect stand density.