Abstract
Various types of aromatic and medicinal plants are available in Ethiopia from which the essential oil can be extracted for different purpose. Eucalyptus plant is most common among them. Despite its availability the variation of essential oils of Eucalyptus globulus with ages, the chemical constituents of Eucalyptus globulus essential oil of Ankober origin has not previously been examined. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess the variation of essential oil with ages in Eucalyptus globulus tree grown at Ankober district, Ethiopia. Most part of Ankober is covered by Eucalyptus globulus, locally known as ‘Nech-Baharzaf’. Essential Eucalyptus leaves having different ages were collected and subjected to steam distillation to determine the quality and quantity of essential oil (main components of the oils). Eucalyptus globulus leaves aged 3, 5, 8, 12, 20, 35 and 100 were compared. All the leaves were collected from the same agro-ecological zone and in the same season to avoid oil content variation with climate change and agroecology. Chemical composition of the essential oils was analyzed by GC/MS and alpha-Pinene, dlimonene and cineol were the main constituents. The highest amount of eucalyptol (73.90%) presented in plant aged 100 years whereas alpha-Pinene (20.05%) and d-limonene (6.17%) detected in essential oil of plants aged three. The main constituent of the oil is cineole, ranging from 61.04%-73.90% which might suggest age variation has significant impact on essential oil content composition.
Highlights
The genus Eucalyptus from Myrtaceae family, originally from Australia, has been distributed all over the world due to its easy adaptability, ease of cultivation, tolerance to a wide range of environmental conditions and fast growth
The essential oil extracted from the leaves of Eucalyptus has been widely used in various sectors including in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industries based on their compositions [6,7,8]
Leaves of Eucalyptus globulus were collected from locally grown Eucalyptus globulus trees aged 3, 5, 8, 12, 20, 35 and 100 years growing in the Ankober woreda of Ethiopia
Summary
The genus Eucalyptus from Myrtaceae family, originally from Australia, has been distributed all over the world due to its easy adaptability, ease of cultivation, tolerance to a wide range of environmental conditions and fast growth. Reports indicate that more than 300 species of this genus are naturally rich in essential oil content in their leaves. Few of these species are known for their high content of 1, 8-cineole (more than 70%). The essential oil extracted from the leaves of Eucalyptus has been widely used in various sectors including in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industries based on their compositions [6,7,8]. Essential oil is one of the natural products that is gaining significant attention to be used as ingredients in drinks, foods, cosmetics and toiletries [13,14]. Many countries have approved extracts of Eucalyptus leaves as food additives [15]. Europe has Received: April 18, 2019; Accepted: May 06, 2019; Published: May 13, 2019
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