Volatile Components of the Essential Oils in Galanga (Alpinia officinarum Hance) from Vietnam

Abstract

The essential oils from fresh and dried rhizomes of galanga (Alpinia officinarum Hance) were obtained by hydrodistillation, and fractionated to the hydrocarbon and oxygenated compound fractions by silica gel column chromatography. Twenty-eight hydrocarbons and 29 oxygenated compounds were identified by gas chromatographic (Kovat's index) and mass spectrometric data. In the fresh rhizome, the main components (over 1.0% in content) were 1,8-cineole (50.0%), exo-2-hydroxy-1,8-cineole acetate (11.2%), β-caryophyllene (6.4%), α- and β-pinenes (1.7 and 2.6 %), β-bisabolene (2.6%), chavicol (2.0%), limonene (2.0%), 4-terpineol (1.6%), chavicol acetate (1.2%), and methyl eugenol (1.0%). On drying the rhizome, the monoterpene fraction (including hydrocarbon and oxygenated compounds) decreased in content, and the sesquiterpene and aromatic compound fractions increased. Major components of the oil from dried rhizome (over 2.0% in content) were β-bisabolene (9.6%), 1,8-cineole (8.2%), chavicol acetate (5.9%), chavicol (5.3%), eugenyl acetate (3.7%), α-farnesene (3.3%), methyl eugenol (3.3%), β-caryophyllene (2.9%), α-bisabolol (2.6%), spathulenol (2.5%), farnesyl acetate (2.4%), 4-hydroxycinnamyl acetate (2.3%).