Chemical Variability of Essential Oils in Natural Populations of Cupressus dupreziana

A comprehensive analysis of the chemical variability in essential oils from Cupressus dupreziana, an endemic species in Tassili n'Ajjer (Central Sahara, Algeria), reveals that genetic factors are unlikely to be the primary cause of its population decline. The study identified 32 terpenoids, with alpha-pinene, delta-3-carene, and germacrene-D being dominant, and used these markers to map chemotypic variability across 164 trees from 26 natural populations. This chemical diversity suggests that desertification, rather than genetic factors, is the main threat to this species' survival in the Tassili n'Ajjer region.

Ramdani, M., Lograda, T., Chalard, P., Chalchat, J. C., & Figueredo, G. (2011). Chemical Variability of Essential Oils in Natural Populations of Cupressus dupreziana. Natural Product Communications, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/1934578x1100600121