Abstract The essential oil isolated by water and steam distillation from aerial parts of Chaerophyllum macrospermum (Spreng.) Fisch et C. A. Mey. was analyzed by capillary GC and GC/MS. Among the 27 compounds identified, the major components were (E)-β-ocimene (55.9%), terpinolene (9.8%), α-pinene (7.5%), β-phellandrene (4.3%) and β-pinene (4.2%).