Essential oil profile and biological activity of Litsea Spp

The percentage, composition, and the toxicity of essential oils from Litsea paludosa, Litsea sessilis, Litsea gracilipes and Litsea resinosa were studied. The essential oils compositions for all samples were analysed using gas chromatographylflame ionization detector and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The percentage of essential oils from the four Litsea species studied varied from 0.08% to 4.79%. The highest percentage was obtained from the leaves of Litsea sessilis while the lowest percentage ofoil obtained was from the roots of Litsea paludosa. The major chemical compositions in Litsea paludosa were a-guaiene (14.88%), p-selinene (14.82%), cis-linalool pyran oxide (36.57%) and methylene bis(methyl sulfide) (15.83%). The major chemical composition in the oils of Litsea sessilis were geranial (37.23%), ethyl undecanoate (33.55%) and elemicin (42.17%). For Litsea gracilipes, the major chemical compositions were elemicin (29.08%) and geranyl acetone (12.20%). Litsea resinosa contains heneicosane (4.51%) and acetovanillone (3.89%) as its major chemical composition. Some of the similar compounds presents ill the oils were p-selinene from the leaves, barks and roots of Litsea paludosa, elemicin in both the oils from the barks of Litsea sessilis and the leaves of Litsea gracilipes while the oils from the leaves of Litsea paludosa and Litsea resinosa both contain similar chemical compositions such as isogeraniol, p-sesquiphellandrene and methyl eugenol. The toxicity test showed that only oils extracted from the leaves of Ii/sea paludosa, Litsea gracilipes and Litsea resinosa and the barks of Litsea sessilis were toxic with the LCso values of 42.0J.lg/mL, 30.0J.lg/mL, 26.0J.lg/mL, and 1O.0J.lg/mL respectively