Chemical composition of the essential oils of Curcuma cochinchinensis Gagnep. from Vietnam

Steam distillation of fresh leaves, small rhizomes, large rhizomes and roots of Curcuma cochinchinensis Gagnep. (Zingiberaceae) produced oils in yields of 0.17%,0.21%,0.23% and trace, respectively. The oils were analyzed by high resolution GC and GCIMS. Among the more than 45 compounds identified in the leaf oil, curdione (33.9%) and 1,8-cineole (26.3%) were found to predominate. The oils of the small rhizomes, large rhizomes and roots contained great amounts of oxygenated terpenes such as cis-B-elemenone (11.0%, 14.5% and 13.3%), germacrone (3.8%, 11.3% and 4.3%) and curdione (9.8%, 8.4% and 2.5%). The root oil also contained 1,8-cineole (13.4%) as major constituent. The oxygenated compounds contribute to the special odor of these oils