Essential Oils of Elettariopsis smithiae Y. K. Kam and E. rugosa (Y. K. Kam) C.K. Lim

Abstract

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of the leaves, rhizomes and roots of Elettariopsis smithiae Y.K. Kam and Elettariopsis rugosa (Y.K. Kam) C.K. Lim were analyzed by capillary GC and GC/MS. The oils of E. smithiae were dominated by monoterpenoids, the major components were geranial (38.1%) and neral (29.1%) in the leaf oil, and camphene (22.9%) and α-fenchyl acetate (15.7%) in the oil from the rhizomes and roots. The leaf oil of E. rugosa contained high levels of sesquiterpenoids, particularly spathulenol (29.5%), while the oil of the rhizomes and roots contained mainly monoterpenoids, with β-phellandrene (26.2%) and camphene (15.2%) being clearly the two most abundant components.

Key Word Index:

• Elettariopsis smithiae
• Elettariopsis rugosa
• Zingiberaceae
• essential oil composition
• geranial
• neral
• camphene
• α-fenchyl acetate
• spathulenol
• β-phellandrene
• β-pinene