Herbaceous, tall plant that grows in northern Iran (F galbanifua) or in southern Iran (F rubicaulia and F cerato- phylly) F galbanifua is widespread also in Turkey and Lebanon The plant yields a resinous exudate distinguished commercially by two types: Levant galbanum (soft) and Persian galbanum (hard) The resin has a characteristic, aromatic odor and a bitter, warm, acrid taste Galbanum has a warm, resinous, somewhat spicy and balsamic odor.
Essential oil composition
Galbanum resin contains resin acids, sesquiterpenic compounds (α-terpenyl acetate), α-fenchyl acetate,
guaiol, bulnesol, β-eudesmol, (Z) and (E) dihydrofarnesol, 10-epi-elemol, (E)guai-9-en-11-ol, α- and β-dihydrogarofuran, (Z) dihydrofarnesol,
10-epi-junenol, epi-ligulyloxide and macrolides (CoE, 2000). Four novel compounds—two sesquiterpene phenylpropanoid
derivatives, pallidones G (1) and H (2), and two sesquiterpene chromone derivatives, pallidones I (3) and J (4)—have been
isolated from the roots of Ferula.
