Essential oils and hydrosols from fresh flowers of Cerasus subhirtella (Miq.) Sok. and Cerasusserrulata (Lindl.) London from East China were analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the first time. The major components of the essential oils from C. subhirtella and C.serrulata were benzaldehyde (31.2% and 42.1%, respectively), tricosane (23.1% and 27.7%, respectively) and pentacosane (23.2% and 19.0%, respectively). The main constituents of the hydrosol volatiles from C. subhirtella and C.serrulata were benzaldehyde (67.5% and 64.3%, respectively) and mandelonitrile (12.5% and 12.4%, respectively). Benzaldehyde was the key component of the essential oils, while benzaldehyde as well as mandelonitrile was the principal compound of the hydrosols.
Keywords: Cerasus subhirtella; Cerasusserrulata; benzaldehyde; essential oil; hydrosol; mandelonitrile.