E,E-α-Farnesene rich essential oil of Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Wilde flower

Abstract

Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Wilde (Fabaceae) commonly known as ‘Ashoka’ is a highly valued medicinal plant categorised ‘vulnerable’ by International Union for Conservation of Nature. The hydro-distilled essential oil from the flowers of S. asoca was investigated using gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Twenty-eight compounds representing 95.8% of the total oil were identified. The major constituents of the essential oil were E,E-α-farnesene (41.2%), hexadecanoic acid (15.3%), methyl salicylate (9.5%) and Z-lanceol (6.6%). The oil was found to be rich in sesquiterpene hydrocarbon-type constituents.

Graphical abstract

Keywords:

• Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Wilde
• Fabaceae
• E,E-α-farnesene
• hexadecanoic acid
• GC/MS

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, India, for providing the necessary facilities and is thankful to Mr. Mahesh B. Wagharwadi, Multi Tasking Staff (MTS), Department of Phytochemistry, RMRC, Belgaum, for processing of the plant material and extraction of the oil.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.