Dagne Ermias (PhD)Tesfaye Tegene2018-06-252023-11-092018-06-252023-11-091999-04http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/3291The genus Commiphora is one of the 20 genera belonging to the Bnrseraceae family. In the course of this study leaves and barks of five Commiphora species, for botanical identification , and resins of four of these species (except C. africana ) , for chemical analysis , were collected from Konso, Gamo Gofa. The species were identified by Dr. Kaj Vollesen (Kew Botanical Garden, U. K .) as Commiphora kataf, C. lerebinlhina, C. schimperi, C. hahessenica and C. africana.The essential oils of the resins from the four species were isolated by hydrodistillation and some of the components identified by means of GC and GC/MS analysis. The main components were: C. kataf a-copaene (29%) and / raw-caryophyllene (33%); C. lerebinlhina: geraniol (24 %), aromadendrenc (21 % ), a-copaene ( 15 %), a-luimulene (3.2%) and a-cadinol (7.4%); C. schimperi: a-pinene (73%) and (3-pinene (17%); and C. hahessenica : a -copaene (27%) and a-cadinol (25%). The resins were also subjected to extraction by petrol, ethyl acetate and methanol, and the components of C. lerebinlhina were isolated using chromatographic techniques and attempts were made to identify the isolated substances. Analysis of the petrol extract of the resin of C. schimperi showed the resin to be an excellent source of the industrially important compounds, a- and (1-pineneenCommiphora SpeciesThesis