Root and flower essential oils of Cyanthillium cinereum (L.) H. Rob. (Synonym Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less.) (Asteraceae) collected in Southern Côte d'Ivoire was investigated using a combination of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. The root oil composition was dominated by trans-β-bergamotene (20.7%), β-elemene (19.0%), cyperene (10.6%), germacrene A (7.1%) and β-pinene (3.8%), whereas γ-humulene (31.0%), (E)-β-caryophyllene (17.0%), trans-β-bergamotene (7.7%), β-pinene (7.5%) and (E)-β-farnesene (6.0%) were the major components of flower oil. Two new compounds bearing the trans-β-bergamotene framework were identified: trans-β-bergamotenone and (E)-trans-β-bergamotenol.
Keywords: (E)–trans–β–bergamotenol; Asteraceae; C NMR; Vernonia cinerea; essential oil; trans–β–bergamotenone.