Impact of different storage conditions on composition of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus L.) essential oil of Tien Giang Province, Vietnam

Abstract

Essential oils are known to be susceptible to changes and degradation that can lead to loss of quality and pharmacological properties. In this work, lemongrass essential oil is stored under different storage conditions under the influence of light and temperature, assessing the physical and chemical properties as well as the chemical composition of the citronella essential oil respectively. The change in the chemical composition of citronella oil is determined based on the storage time of 4 months under different conditions i.e. light (45 ºC) and in dark (4 ºC). To determine the change in the composition of the essential oil, based on the results of GC-MS analysis methods to monitor the chemical changes of the essential oil. The content of main components of citral and β-myrcene increases significantly after storage time under the influence of light and temperature. Some low content components (β-citronello, β-caryophyllen, p-cymen-8-ol, etc.) are likely to be oxidized and lost under light conditions, even in the dark. Therefore, the importance of external storage factors for the chemical and physical stability of essential oils is a matter of concern to control the quality of scientific evaluation.