Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil from Rhizomes, Leaves and Flowers of Zingiber zerumbet Smith from Reunion Island

Abstract

Sixty-nine constituents were identified in essential oil from the rhizomes, leaves and flowers of Zingiberzerumbet Smith from Reunion Island. The oils were obtained by steam distillation. The oils obtained from rhizomes were rich in zerumbone (37%), α-humulene (14.4%) and camphene (13.8%). The oils from leaves and flowers differed appreciably from that from rhizomes by the presence of large amounts of (E)-nerolidol (21.4% and 34.9%), β-cearyophyllene (6.9% and 10.2%), and linalool (7.7% and 17.1%), respectively. The leaf oils differed from the others by their high levels of α- and β-pinenes (10.3% and 31.4%, respectively).

Key Word Index:

• Zingiberzerumbet
• Zingiberaceae
• essential oil composition
• zerumbone
• α-humulene
• camphene
• (E)-nerolidol
• β-caryophyllene
• linalool
• α- pinene
• β-pinene