Variability of the chemical composition of the essential oil from the amazonian ishpingo species (Ocotea quixos)

Abstract

Ocotea quixos (Lam.) Kosterm. is an aromatic tree native to Ecuador, whose leaves are used to prepare aromatic beverages to which different health benefits are attributed. In this study, Ocotea quixos leaves were collected in the Amazon region in different environmental conditions and subjected to hydrodistillation to isolate the essential oil. The collection variables used were type of soil, amount of shade, and height; in addition, the presence of twig and leaf age and moisture were used as variables. Chemical composition was analyzed by means of gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. A wide variety of chemical compositions were detected in the samples. In total, forty‐seven compounds were identified, which represented between 97.17% and 99.89% of the total composition. The constituents were mainly grouped into aliphatic sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (33.03–55.89%), other compounds (8.94–47.83%), and oxygenated monoterpenes (1.97–39.66%). The main constituents were found to be (E)‐cinnamyl acetate (5.96–41.65%), (E)‐methyl cinnamate (0.38–37.91%), and trans‐caryo-phyllene (8.77–37.02%). The statistical analysis suggested the existence of two essential oil chemotypes and a direct correlation between environmental conditions and chemical composition of the essential oils.