the effect of 60co-gamma radio-sterilization on boswellia carterii essential oil composition

background and objectives:gamma-irradiation is used vastly for both decontamination and sterilization of natural products; but these high-energy rays can affect heat-sensitive essential oils. methods: the oleo-gum-resin of boswellia carterii (burseraceae) was sterilized by γ-irradiation at dose 30 kgy. the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of non-irradiated boswellia (nib) and irradiated boswellia (ib) were analyzed by gc/ms and the changes were compared. the structure of octyl acetate as the major component and marker of b. carterii was confirmed by ms/ms. results: twenty-five compounds comprising 99.55% of nib oil and nineteen compounds comprising 98.61% of ib oil were identified. major constituents which were common for both oils were octyl acetate (52.67 % in nib, 76.51 % in ib), 1-octanol (6.37 % in nib, 5.19 % in ib), duva-4, 8, 13-triene-1,3α diol (5.52 % in nib, 3.94 % in ib), verticiol (13.63 % in nib) and verticillane type diterpene (5.4 % in ib) they made up 78.19% and 91.04% of nib and ib, respectively. conclusion: gamma irradiation was an efficient method for sterilization of boswellia carterii oleo-gum resin, but it resulted in change in the essential oil composition particularly octyl acetate changed from 52.67% to 76.51%.