Chemical Constituents and Chemotypes of Fresh Leaf Essential Oil of Wild Species Belonging to Sect. Camphor (Trew.) Meissn. in Southeastern China

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze the chemical compositions and chemo types of the essential oil obtained from the fresh leaves of wild species belonging to Sect. Camphor (Trew.) Meissn. in the southeastern of China. Hydro-distillation of essential oils was carried out by the refined oil extraction equipment of Nanchang Institute of Technology (patent application number: 201710158988.8), quality and quantity analysis of the essential oil was carried out by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). After 3 years of investigation more than 1000 individuals, 7 chemotypes were classified in southeast China, including citral- type, linalool-type, camphor-type, cineol-type, safrole-type, methyleugenol-type and nerolidol-type, the last three were the newly discovered of SCM in the area. Especially the individual plants sample number 108 and 107 obtained a high yield of fresh leaf essential oil of 1.35 % and 1.96 % in linalool-type and safrole-type, respectively. The sample number 108 contained twenty-eight compounds which accounting for 99.87 % of the whole essential oil and the content of α-linalool (95.18 %) was the main chemical composition. The sample number 107 contained twenty-six compounds which accounting for 99.90 % of the whole essential oil and the content of safrole (97.04 %) was the main chemical composition. The results indicated that highly economic value natural plant essential oil linalool and safrole superior individual of varieties were found in the study, which are available for the next study and further development of natural plant essential oils.