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Research Article Open access CC BY 3.0

Chemical Constituents of the Leaf, Stem, Root and Seed Essential Oils of Aframomum melegueta (K. Schum) from South West Nigeria

I. A. Owokotomo, O. Ekundayo, B. J. Oguntuase

International Research Journal of Pure and Applied Chemistry · pp. 395–401 · Published 14 Mar 2014

10.9734/IRJPAC/2014/7397

Abstract

Aframomum melegueta leaf, stem, root and seed essential oils were obtained by hydro-distillation and were analyzed by means of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Twenty components were identified in the leaf essential oil. The major components were mrytenyl acetate (29.06%), isolimonene (19.47%) and g-elemene (8.84%). Twenty-seven components were identified in the stem essential oil with the main components as caryophyllene oxide (19.70%), mrytenyl acetate (14.70%),                   β-eudesmene (10.83%) and β-caryophyllene (10.13%). In the rootessential oil, twenty-five compounds were identified. The major components were mrytenyl acetate (22.70%), pinocarvyl acetate (11.50%) and cyperene (8.96%). Nine components were identified in the seed essential oil with the main components being α-caryophyllene (48.78%), β-caryophyllene (32.50%) and linalool (5.40%). The composition of the essential oils from different parts of the plant varied in quality and in quantity.  

Hydro-distillation essential oil Aframomum melegueta South West Nigeria

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