Chemical examination of the leaf essential oil of <i>Curcuma longa</i> L. from the North Indian plains

Abstract

Abstract The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of the fresh leaves of Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae), growing in the Research farm of the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants field station Pant Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India, was investigated by GC and GC–MS. Twenty compounds were identified, accounting for 72% of the contents. The oil of C. longa consisted mainly of monoterpenoids; monoterpene hydrocarbons (57%), oxygenated monoterpenes (10%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (3.3%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (2.1%). The major constituents of the oil were p ‐cymene (25.4%) and 1,8‐cineole (18%), followed by cis ‐sabinol (7.4%) and β‐pinene (6.3%). Copyright © 2002 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.