Essential Oil Composition of Zingiberaceae Species from Mauritius

Abstract

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from the hydrodistillation of the rhizomes of the common ginger (Zingiber officinale) and three ginger-lilies (Hedychium coccineum, H. flavescens and H. coronarium) grown in Mauritius was investigated by GC and GC/MS. Z. officinale oil was characterized by the presence of geranial (16.3%), neral (10.3%), zingiberene (9.5%), β-sesquiphellandrene (6.3%) and ar-curcumene (5.1%). The oils of the ginger lilies were characterized as follows: H. coccineum: (E)-nerolidol (44.4%), trans-sesquisabinene hydrate (24.2%); H. flavescens: linalool (35.0%), 1,8-cineole [eucalyptol] (15.3%), β-pinene (14.7%), α-terpineol (14.5%) and α-pinene (5.3%); H. coronarium: α-muurolol (16.8%), α-terpineol (15.9%), 1,8-cineole (11.2%), an unknown sesquiterpene alcohol (7.0%), α-fenchyl acetate (5.6%), citronellal (5.5%) and (E)-methyl cinnamate (5.1%).