Terpene constituents of the leaves of five Vietnamese species of Clausena (Rutaceae)

Abstract

This article reports the compounds identified in the leaf oils of five Clauseana species growing in Vietnam. The hydrodistilled oils were analysed for their chemical constituents by using gas chromatography–flame ionisation detector and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The major compounds identified in Clausena dentata (Willd.) M. Roem. were α-pinene (21.7%), sabinene (18.3%) and β-myrcene (14.3%). Clausena dimidiata Tanaka comprised mainly of safrole (56.9%) and α-terpinolene (22.1%). However, 1-menthone (70.6%) and β-phellandrene (13.0%) were the most abundant compounds of Clausena indica (Dalz.) Oliver. Sesquiterpene compounds represented mainly by β-caryophyllene (16.7%), spathulenol (11.9%) and bicyclogermacrene (7.5%) were the major constituents of Clausena excavata Burm. f., while those of Clausena engleri Tanaka include bicycloelemene (12.1%), bicyclogermacrene (11.0%) and (E)-nerolidol (6.6%). This is the first report on the chemical analysis of essential oils of C. dimidiata and C. engleri.

Keywords::

• Clausena dentata
• Clausena dimidiata
• Clausena indica
• Clausena excavata
• Clausena engleri
• essential oil
• terpenes

Acknowledgements

Authors are grateful to the Curators at the Herbarium of Vinh University for the identification of the plant samples. Mrs Ogunwande typeset the manuscript to our satisfaction.