Archana P. Raina

Volatile constituents of essential oils isolated from Alpinia galanga Willd. (L.) and A. officinarum Hance rhizomes from North East India

Chemical profiles of essential oils isolated from the rhizomes of two Alpinia species, Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd. and Alpinia officinarum Hance from North East India, were analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Major compounds identified in the oils of A. galanga and A. officinarum were 1,8-cineole (63.4 and 44.2%), α-terpineol (2.8 and 6.3%), α-pinene (1.9 and 2.0%), β-pinene (0.8 and 5.7%), and terpinen-4-ol (2.8 and 4.5%), respectively. Some additional compounds identified in A. officinarum oil were camphor (4.0%) and α-fenchyl acetate (8.9%), while chavicol (0.9%), (E)-β-farnesene (8.4%), β-sesquiphellandrene (2.6%), β-bisabolene (0.3%), and eugenol acetate (3.3%) were present in A. galanga oil. 1,8-Cineole is an important aromatic chemical reported to possess expectorant, antiseptic, and anesthetic properties and is used widely in pharmaceutical preparations. Therefore, there is a promising possibility to utilize these plant species for industrial purpose.

Chemical profiling of essential oil of Kaempferia galanga L. germplasm from India

Abstract Kaempferia galanga L. (Zingiberaceae) commonly known as Kacholam, Kencur or aromatic ginger is an important medicinal plant of India which is extensively used in the preparation of both traditional and modern medicines. K. galanga germplasm collected from southern states of Kerala and Karnataka was evaluated for essential oil content and oil composition. Volatile oil isolated from rhizomes of K. galanga L. by hydrodistillation was analyzed by Gas chromatography (GC) and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Thirty-eight aroma compounds were identified in the rhizome oil representing 96.4% to 98.9% of total oil. The two major compounds identified were trans-ethyl-p-methoxycinnamate (28.4–70.0%) and trans-ethyl cinnamate(11.5–26.6%) which constituted 50.3% to 84.8% of total oil. Other important chemical compounds present were δ-3-carene (0.1–6.5%), 1,8-cineole (0.2–5.2%), borneol (1.0–2.4%), pentadecane (6.0–16.5%). Trans-ethyl-p-methoxycinnamate and trans-ethyl cinnamate were found to be the most vital constituents responsible for most of the pharmacological properties of K. galanga plant. Hence, the promising accessions identified in the study could be exploited for large-scale cultivation of this plant for obtaining higher yields of pharmacologically important constituents.

Essential Oil Composition of Hedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. ex Smith. from Uttarakhand, India

Abstract Hedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. ex Smith. germplasm was collected from seven different locations of Central Himalayas in Uttarakhand state of India and subsequently grown under identical sub-temperate conditions for evaluation. The chemical composition of the essential oils isolated from the rhizomes were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of twenty-six components accounting for 76.1-94.7 % of the total oils were identified. The essential oils of H. spicatum rhizomes were marked by the presence of high amount of oxygenated monoterpenes (18.3-75.7 %), followed by oxygenated sesquiterpenes (8.1-43.8 %), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (1.6-25.3 %) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (0.9-10.0 %). Oxygenated monoterpenoid compound 1,8-cineole was the most abundant constituent (15.5-58.2 %) present in this oil from Uttarakhand. Other compounds identified were linalool, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, 10-epi-γ-eudesmol, β-eudesmol, β-selinene, α-selinene, elemol, α-cadinol.

Chemical composition of essential oils obtained from plant parts of Alpinia calcarata Rosc. (lesser galangal) germplasm from south India

Alpinia calcarata Rosc. (Zingiberaceae) is an important medicinal plant of India. Chemical profiles of volatile oils isolated from rhizomes, roots and aerial shoots of A. calcarata germplasm from southern India were investigated by gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC–FID) and GC–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Oxygenated monoterpenoids were identified as the major oil constituents in all parts of A. calcarata oil, represented mainly by 1,8-cineole, α-fenchyl acetate, α-terpineol, camphor, terpinen-4-ol and borneol. Rhizome oil was characterized by the presence of the two most abundant oxygenated monoterpenoids, 1,8-cineole (13.0–30.2%) and α-fenchyl acetate (26.3–38.7%). On the other hand, the root oil showed α-fenchyl acetate (49.8–61.6%) as the major constituent, followed by 1,8-cineole (4.2–16.6%) camphene (1.7–9.8%), borneol (5.2–7.5%) and carotol (2.3–4.5) whereas aerial shoots oil showed 1,8-cineole (8.1–30.7%) camphor (3.5–16.1%), α-fenchyl acetate (7.6–16.9%), α-terpineol (4.3–11.0%) and carotol (4.6–16.7%) as the major constituents. Variations recorded in essential oil compositions of different plant parts of A. calcarata can be used as chemotaxonomic markers, as well as for their utilization in food flavoring, in cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.

Chemical diversity among different accessions of Origanum vulgare L. ssp. vulgare collected from Central Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India

The essential oil composition of ten accessions of Origanum vulgare L. ssp. vulgare collected from wild populations of the sub-temperate region of the Central Himalayas and subsequently grown under identical climatic conditions in Uttrakhand state of India were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A total of forty-six components representing 92.6–99.8% of the total oil were identified in essential oils isolated from seven different locations. The major constituents of the essential oils were phenolic compounds (13.7–90.5%), represented mainly by thymol (13.7–85.9%) and carvacrol (1.5–63.0%). Two chemotypes were identified: the first, with a prevalence of thymol (IC589087, 85.9%; IC589085, 85.0%) and the second, characterized by the prevalence of carvacrol (IC589079, 63.0%). Results indicated that accessions collected from higher altitude (>3200 m) possessed high thymol content (>85%). This chemical study attempts to provide an insight on the relationship between chemical composition of essential oil and chemotypes in O. vulgare L.

Chemo-divergence in essential oil composition among germplasm collection of five Ocimum species from eastern coastal plains of India

Abstract The present work was aimed to study chemical diversity among Ocimum species collected from Eastern Coastal Plains of India. Seventeen accessions representing five Ocimum species namely; O. basilicum L., O. tenuiflorum, O. gratissimum L., O. americanum L. and O. citriodorum Vis. were investigated for essential oil content and oil composition by GC/FID and GC/MS. Essential oil content isolated from aerial parts of Ocimum species varied from 0.27% to 0.47% on fresh weight basis. A total of eighty-three compounds, constituting 95.2–99.9% of total oil were identified in five Ocimum species. Major volatile constituents identified were monoterpenoids (camphor, linalool, neral, nerol, geraniol, 1,8-cineole, ocimenes) and phenylpropanoids (methyl chavicol, eugenol, methyl eugenol, methyl cinnamate). Ocimum species germplasm was classified into different chemotypes. O. americanum accessions belonged to camphor-rich chemotype (38.7–51.4%); while O. gratissimum belonged to eugenol-rich chemotype (59.7–71.8%). A unique high (E)-methyl cinnamate-rich chemotype (61.3–69.0%) was identified in O. basilicum whereas eugenol and methyl eugenol-rich two chemotypes were identified in O. tenuiflorum germplasm. Essential oil profiling of O. citriodorum showed two distinct chemotypes rich in geranial/neral and methyl chavicol.

Chemotypic characterization of diversity in essential oil composition of Ocimum species and varieties from India

ABSTRACT Chemical composition of essential oils isolated from four species of Ocimum (Ocimum basilicum L., Ocimum × citriodorum Vis., Ocimum kilimandscharicum Gurke, Ocimum. viride Willd.) and six botanical varieties of Ocimum basilicum L. (O. basilicum var. difforme, O. basilicum var. purpurascens, O. basilicum var. basilicum, O. basilicum var. pilosum, O. basilicum var. glabratum and O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora) were investigated by GC/FID and GC/MS. Results revealed a total of sixty-four volatile compounds showing both qualitative and quantitative variations among these species/varieties in distribution of compounds, chemical profiles and chemotypes. On the basis of chemical composition and hierarchical clustering, Ocimum species/varieties were classified into seven different chemotypes. Ocimum × citriodorum showed two different chemotypes rich in geranial/neral and methyl chavicol. O. kilimandscharicum showed camphor-rich chemotype (43.21%), while O. viride was found to be eugenol-rich chemotype (77.86%). Among the O. basilicum varieties, linalool-rich chemotype was identified in thyrsiflora, difforme, purpurascens and glabratum, whereas methyl chavicol-rich chemotype was found in pilosum. The most commonly found species of O. basilicum var. basilicum showed four chemotypes: linalool, methyl chavicol, (E)-methyl cinnamate and mixed type having both linalool and methyl chavicol. These essential oils of Ocimum with varying chemical compositions and chemotypes can be utilized in perfumery, pharmaceutical, food preservation and aromatherapy industries.

Characterization of indigenous germplasm of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees for variability analysis

Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex Nees (family-Acanthaceae) popularly known as Kalmegh (Hindi), is an important medicinal herb used in different ayurvedic formulations in India. A total of 155 accessions have so far been collected by National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) mainly from parts of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. Among these, forty four accessions were grown for characterization, evaluation and identification of trait-specific germplasm using nine important quantitative traits viz. plant height, number of primary and secondary branches, leaf length, leaf width, herbage yield and andrographolide content. Among the traits studied, the highest variability was observed for herbage yield on fresh weight basis (CV=16.95%) followed by herbage yield on dry weight basis (CV=15.98%) and andrographolide content (CV=13.34%). The promising accessions identified were IC471919 for herbage yield (fresh weight basis) collected from Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh) and IC342138, IC471895 with high andrographolide content from Amarkantak (Madhya Pradesh). Passport data of collected germplasm were used for geo-referencing, diversity distribution and grid mapping along with other collateral data. DIVA-GIS-based grid mapping technique was used to know the diversity distribution pattern in promising accessions identified for different traits. In addition, priority areas identified for future collection have also been discussed in the present communication.