Pran N. Kaul

The Essential Oil of Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit.

ABSTRACT The essential oils of Hyptis suaveolens produced from wild plants growing at two different locations (Bangalore and Hyderabad) in India have been examined by capillary GC and GC/MS. The chief constituent found in both the oils was 1,8-cineole (31.5–35.3%).

Volatile constituents of the essential oils of the seeds and the herb of palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii (Roxb.) Wats. var. motia Burk.)

The essential oil of palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii (Roxb.) Wats. var. motia Burk.) seeds collected from three different geographical locations in India was analysed by capillary GC and GC–MS. The composition of the oil samples was compared with that of the oil of flowering palmarosa herb. Besides the main constituent, geraniol (74.5–81.8%), 55 other constituents, including those present in trace amounts, were identified in the seed essential oil. Although the composition of the seed oils is similar to that of the herb oil, quantitative differences in the concentration of some constituents were observed. The seed oil was found to contain lower amounts of geranyl acetate and higher amounts of (E, Z)-farnesol than the herb oil.

Composition of the Volatile Oils of Alpinia galanga Rhizomes and Leaves from India

Abstract The essential oils of the rhizomes and the leaves of Alpinia galanga Willd. from Bangalore and Hyderabad in India were analyzed by capillary GC and GC/MS. The oils of the rhizomes and the leaves from the two places were found to contain similar constituents. The rhizome oils from Bangalore and Hyderabad contained limonene (3.7% and 3.5 %, respectively), 1,8-cineole (33.0% and 30.2 %, respectively), camphor (5.0% and 14.0%, respectively), α-terpineol (9.3 % and 2.3 %, respectively), α-fenchyl acetate (12.7 % and 1.1 %, respectively) and (E)-methyl cinnamate (5.3 % and 2.6 %, respectively), as the major constituents. The major constituents of the leaf oils from the same locations were: α-pinene (6.6 % and 6.3 %, respectively), camphene (5.0 % and 5.1%, respectively), β-pinene (21.5 % and 23.5 %, respectively), 1,8-cineole (34.4 % and 30.7%, respectively) and camphor (7.8 % and 12.8 %, respectively).

Changes in Chemical Composition of Rose-Scented Geranium (Pelargonium sp.) Oil during Storage

Abstract A comparison between properly stored and improperly stored (containing a small amount of water, half-filled in aluminum container and stored under ambient conditions) rose-scented geranium oil was made. It was found that the menthone, citronellol and citronellyl formate contents increased significantly under poor storage conditions, whereas linalool, geraniol, geranyl formate and lO-epi-γ-eudesmol contents decreased under poor storage conditions over the period of 6-24 months. When the oil was stored correctly, the concentrations of linalool, citronellol, citronellyl formate and 10-epi-γ-eudesmol did not vary markedly, while that of menthone increased slightly and those of geraniol and geranyl formate declined marginally. Correct storage conditions were defined as oil that has been dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filled up to the brim in an aluminum container or amber-colored bottle, tightly stoppered and stored under ambient conditions. No polymerization was observed in oils irrespective of...

Changes in Profiles of Essential Oils of Rose-Scented Geranium (Pelargonium sp.) During Leaf Ontogeny

ABSTRACT Changes in the essential oil profile of rose-scented geranium during development were determined gas chromatographically. It was found that the essential oil yield (1.56%) and geraniol content (34.6%) were highest in the first leaf, while in the twelfth leaf they were 0.05% and 13.9% respectively. Similarly essential oil gland density was found to be highest in the first leaf after which it decreased. The other major oil constituents such as isomenthone, citronellyl formate, geranyl formate and citronellol were not influenced by leaf age. Some changes occurred in the linalool content during leaf aging although no clear trend was evident.

Comparative Chemical Composition of Steam- Distilled and Water-Soluble Essential Oils of South American Marigold (Tagetes minuta L.)

Abstract Flowering shoot biomass of feld-grown South American marigold (Tagetes minuta L.) was hydrodistilled in Clevenger-type apparatus, steam-distilled in a feld distillation unit and the distillation water was collected. Chemical profles of hydrodistilled, steam-distilled and water-soluble (recovered from the distillation water of feld distillation unit employing hexane as the solvent) essential oils were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The solubility of T. minuta oil in cold water at room temperature (30° C), in hot water (80° C) and the effciencies of hydrodistillation and hexane methods for isolating dissolved oil in water were studied under laboratory conditions. The solubility of the oil ranged from 0.11% in cold water to 0.15% in hot water. Hydrodistillation recovered 33.3–36.7% of dissolved oil in hot water and 55.0–60.0% of dissolved oil in cold water. Hexane extraction recovered 82.7–83.3% of dissolved oil in hot water and 90.0–90.5% of dissolved oil in cold water. Hydrodistilled and steam-distilled oils were richer in mono-and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, while the water-soluble oil was richer in oxygenated monoterpenes (83.1–93.5%). Hydrodistilled and steam-distilled oils contained (Z)-β-ocimene (13.6–42.2%), dihydrotagetone + (E)-β-ocimene (14.8–30.3%), (Z)-tagetone (7.1–11.9%), (Z)-ocimenone (3.7–5.9%) and (E)-ocimenone (1.8–12.7%) as their major constituents. The main components of the water-soluble oil were: dihydrotagetone + (E)-β-ocimene (3.9–6.8%), (Z)-tagetone (6.2–7.9%), (E)-ocimenone (10.7–13.0%) and geraniol + linalyl acetate (47.5–52.0%).

Composition of the Oil of Rose-Scented Geranium (Pelargonium sp.) Grown Under the Semiarid Tropical Climate of South India

ABSTRACT Essential oil of rose-scented geranium (Pelargonium sp.) cultivated under the semiarid tropical climate of Andhra Pradesh, South India has been examined by capillary GC and GC/MS. The oil possessed a composition similar to the African-type geranium because of the presence of a higher concentration of 10-epi-γ-eudesmol (3.8–4.2%) than of guaia-6, 9-diene (0.13–0.15%).

Yield and Chemical Composition of Rose-Scented Geranium (Pelargonium Species) Oil at Different Times of Harvesting

Abstract A field experiment was conducted for six months covering rainy, autumn and spring seasons, to investigate the influence of time of harvesting on yield and quality of the oil of rose-scented geranium (Pelargonium sp.) cv. Bourbon, in the semi-arid tropical climate of south India. A diurnal fluctuation in oil yield was observed with a maximum at 12:00 noon (0.27%) and a minimum at 12:00 midnight (0.18%). The oil composition assessed by linalool (7.1–8.4%), isomenthone (7.0–8.1%), citronellol (22.2–23.3%), geraniol (20.6–25.2%), citronellyl formate (4.9–5.5%), geranyl formate (3.8–4.7%) and 10-epi-γ-eudesmol (5.0–7.4%) was not significantly affected by time of harvesting.

Volatile Constituents of Essential Oils Isolated from Different Parts of Alpinia calcarata Rosc.

Abstract The essential oils isolated from different parts of Alpinia calcarata Rosc., (family: Zingiberaceae) growing in Hyderabad, south India, were analyzed by capillary GC and GC/MS. The oil yields were: flower 0.06%, leaf sheath 0.03%, stem 0.05% and root 0.18%. Sixty-two compounds accounting for 92.3–98.3% of the oils were identified. The flower oil contained β-pinene (12.5%), 1,8-cineole (12.8%) and (E)-methyl cinnamate (12.3%) as the major constituents. The important components of the leaf sheath oil were 1,8-cineole (23.2%) and humulene epoxide I (10.6%). The stem oil had β-pinene (11.2%) and 1,8-cineole (33.2%) as the major compounds. On the other hand, the root oil showed camphene (13.6%), 1,8-cineole (15.6%) and α-fenchyl acetate (37.6%) as the main constituents.

First observation of little leaf disease and its impact on the yield and composition of the essential oil of rose‐scented geranium (Pelargonium sp.)

Rose-scented geranium (Pelargonium sp.) plants infected with little leaf disease, probably caused by mycoplasma, were firstly observed during 1996–1998. The plants exhibited symptoms of reduced leaf/petiole size (little leaf), yellowing and bunching of leaves and cessation of plant growth, resulting in plant mortality. Plant parameters, viz. plant height, plant spread, number of branches, leaf size, leaf weight, etc., were adversely affected by little leaf disease, leading to significant reductions in shoot (49–70%), root (65–84%) and oil (67–91%) yields of diseased plants in comparison to healthy plants. Healthy plants recorded higher concentrations of geraniol, while little leaf disease-affected plants had higher percentages of isomenthone, citronellol, citronellyl formate, 10-epi-γ-eudesmol, citronellyl tiglate and geranyl tiglate. Copyright