Some Useful Aromatic Plants with Essential Oils Containing Citronellal of Vietnam

Abstract

Citronellal is a valuable aromatic compound widely used in the fragrance industry and in daily life. The aim of this research is to investigate sources of essential oils with high citronellal content in Vietnam to serve the domestic fragrance industry. The main methods for extracting essential oils were steam distillation. Analysis was performed using a Shimadzu GC-9A gas chromatograph from Japan with a PEG 20M column. The research results identified 18 sources of citronellal-containing essential oils in Vietnam. Essential oils with high citronellal content include Corymbia citriodora (Eucalyptus citriodora Hook), containing 60-75% Citronellal, Cymbopogon nardus, containing 10-20% Citronellal, Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt, containing 30-45% Citronellal, Cymbopogon tortilis (Presl) A. Camus, containing 10-30% Citronellal, Elsholtzia winitiana Craib, containing 20-30% Citronellal, and Leaf oil of Citrus hystrix, containing 60-70% Citronellal. With its high citronellal content in essential oils and its ability to grow easily in various terrains, Corymbia citriodora will be a significant source of citronellal for both domestic and export needs. The study shows that the sources of citronellal-containing essential oils in Vietnam are abundant and diverse.