GC-MS Study of the Chemical Components of Different Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilgorgans and Agarwood from Different Asian Countries

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 23; no. 9; p. 2168
• Main Authors: Wang, Meng-Ru, Li, Wei, Luo, Sha, Zhao, Xin, Ma, Chun-Hui, Liu, Shou-Xin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28.08.2018; MDPI
• Subjects: Alcohol; alcohol extracts; Anti-Bacterial Agents - analysis; Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; antibacterial activity; antioxidant capacity; Antioxidants - analysis; Antioxidants - chemistry; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Aquilaria sinensis; Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg; Chemical composition; Climate; Equator; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; GC-MS; Gram-negative bacteria; Leaves; Medicine; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Moisture content; Molecular Structure; Oils, Volatile; Organic chemistry; Organs; Phytochemicals - analysis; Phytochemicals - chemistry; Phytochemicals - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - analysis; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Rainfall; Rainforests; Seeds; Thymelaeaceae - chemistry; volatile component; Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis; Volatile Organic Compounds - chemistry; Volatile Organic Compounds - pharmacology; Water shortages; Wind; Wood - chemistry; Vietnam; Malaysia; GC-MS; antibacterial activity; volatile component; Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg; alcohol extracts; antioxidant capacity
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules23092168

As a traditional medicinal herb and valuable natural spice in China, (Lour.) Gilg has many significant pharmacological effects. Agarwood is the resinous heartwood acquired from wounded trees, and is widely used in pharmaceuticals owing to its excellent medicinal value. In this study, the chemical composition of volatile components and alcohol extracts from different organs of and agarwoods grown in different regions were investigated using GC-MS. The results showed that Vietnam agarwood had the highest moisture content, which was attributed to the local climate, while the fruit and bark of had higher moisture contents than the other organs. The volatile components of organs included 3-ethyl-5-(2-ethylbutyl)-octadecane, oleic acid 3-(octadecyloxy) propyl ester, and docosanoic acid 1,2,3-propanetriyl ester, while the alcohol extracts of organs contained benzoic acid ethyl ester, hexadecanoic acid ethyl ester, oleic acid, and -hexadecanoic acid. Furthermore, the main active ingredients in agarwood from different habitats were sesquiterpenoids, aromatic species, and chromone compounds. The role of chromone compound 2-phenylethyl-benzopyran as an elicitor and the mechanism of agarwood formation were also investigated. Antioxidant tests showed that essential oils from agarwood and had antioxidant capacities by comparison with butylated hydroxytoluene and vitamin E. An antibacterial activity test showed that the inhibition effect of the essential oil was better against Gram-positive bacteria than against Gram-negative bacteria.