Comparative analysis of essential oils from the leaf, fruit and stem bark ofHarungana madagascariensis

Abstract

A comparative analysis of hydro-distilled essential oils of the leaf, stem bark and fruit of Harungana madagascariensis was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) for the first time. Both qualitative and quantitative differences existed in the composition of the three oils which comprised mainly sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (66.8-69.6%). b-caryophyllene (32.4% and 18.4% respectively, for leaf and fruit oils only), a-humulene (10.4%, 9.8% and 7.3% respectively for leaf, stem bark and fruit oils), germacrene D (8.7% for leaf oil only), and a-farnesene (37.4% and 10.4% respectively, for stem bark and fruit oils only) were the predominant constituents. Key words: Essential oil, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, Harungana madagascariensis, Hypericaceae, sesquiterpenes