GC-MS analysis of young and mature wild agarwood leaves (Aquilaria malaccensis Lamk) and its antioxidant potential

Abstract

Agarwood grows wildly in the nature and its leaves may be utilized as raw materials for agarwood tea, especially from Aquilaria species. The study was conducted to determine the chemical compounds in the young and mature leaves of wild gaharu (Aquilaria malaccensis Lamk). Chemical compounds were detected using pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (py-GCMS) while antioxidant capacity of the leaf extracts was assayed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) free radical method. The results obtained a total of 30 chemical compounds in agarwood leaves extract with different composition between young and mature leaves. The agarwood leaves extracts displayed strong antioxidative capacity with a main compound namely octadecanoid acid or stearic acid.