Ammodaucus leucotrichus Coss. & Dur. essential oil characterization and novel insights into fruit structure; first SEM-based report

The present study investigates the essential oil composition of Ammodaucus leucotrichus, an endemic species of the Algerian Sahara, and presents the first scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of its fruit and essential oil secretory glands. Essential oil was extracted from fruits part and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), revealing a predominance of perillaldehyde (81%), with limonene as significant secondary constituent (14%). For the first time, SEM imaging provided detailed morphological characterization of the fruit and the structure of secretory canals responsible for essential oil production, offering new anatomical insights into this underexplored taxon. These findings expand the phytochemical and anatomical knowledge of A. leucotrichus and highlight its value for further pharmacological and botanical research.