Determination of Volatile Components in Various Extracts of Wild Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) Flowers by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

The work is devoted to the assessment of the efficiency of the extraction of volatile organic compounds from wild chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) flowers. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in extracts of flowers of wild chamomile obtained by Ginsberg hydrodistillation, liquid–liquid extraction, and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and also by subcritical and ultrasound-assisted (US) extraction were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Volatile compounds were identified by comparing the recorded mass spectra of components with the data of NIST07 and WILEY8 databases. Analyte concentrations in the extracts were estimated by the internal normalization of peak areas and by the internal standard method with thujone in acetone. The concentrations of VOCs were determined in the essential oil and aromatic water obtained by Ginsberg hydrodistillation, under subcritical conditions, and upon US treatment of acetone extracts from wild chamomile flowers. β-Farnesene, α-bisabolol oxide B, and bisabolol oxide A were identified as macrocomponents of essential oil. α-Bisabolol oxide B, α-Limonene diepoxide, and bisabolol oxide A were identified as macrocomponents of a hexane extract from aromatic water. The main component of acetone extracts from wild chamomile flowers under subcritical conditions and upon US treatment was en-in-dicycloether. It was shown that the concentration of VOCs in the wild chamomile aromatic water is higher than that in the essential oil and the list of compounds is wider.