Essential Oil Composition of Zingiberaceae Species from Mauritius

• Published in: The Journal of essential oil research Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 271 - 273
• Main Authors: Gurib-Fakim, Ameenah, Maudarbaccus, Naheeda, Leach, David, Doimo, Luigino, Wohlmuth, Hans
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01.07.2002
• Subjects: (E)-nerolidol; 1,8-cineole; essential oil composition; geranial; ginger; ginger-lily; Hedychium coccineum; Hedychium coronarium; Hedychium flavescens; linalool; neral; trans-sesquisabinene hydrate; Zingiber officinale; Zingiberaceae; α-muurolol; α-terpineol; β-pinene
• ISSN: 1041-2905; 2163-8152
• DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2002.9699850

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from the hydrodistillation of the rhizomes of the common ginger (Zingiber officinale) and three ginger-lilies (Hedychium coccineum, H. flavescens and H. coronarium) grown in Mauritius has been investigated by GC and GC/MS. Zingiber officinale oil was characterized by the presence of geranial (16.3%), neral (10.3%), zingiberene (9.5%), β-sesquiphellandrene (6.3%) and ar-curcumene (5.1%). The oils of the ginger lilies were characterized as follows: H. coccineum: (E)-nerolidol (44.4%), trans-sesquisabinene hydrate (24.2%); H. flavescens: linalool (35.0%), 1, 8-cineole (15.3%), β-pinene (14.7%), α-terpineol (14.5%) and α-pinene (5.3%); H. coronarium: α-muurolol (16.8%), α-terpineol (15.9%), 1, 8-cineole (11.2%), an unknown sesquiterpene alcohol (7.0%), α-fenchyl acetate (5.6%), citronellal (5.5%) and (E)-methyl cinnamate (5.1%).