| Resume |
Cymbopogon giganteus (Hochst.) Chiov., Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle and
Cymbopogon schoen anthus (L.) Sprend. Ssp. Proximus (Hochtst. Ex A. Rich.) Maire & Weiler
plants are highly aromatic and reputed in traditional medicine in Benin. Physico-chemical studies
and chemical composition of the essential oils (EO) extracted from the leaves of the three plants
were realized by gas chromatography connected to a flame ionization detector (GC/FID) and by
gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry(GC/MS). The major compounds (> 10%),
marking the chemical profile of each of the essential oils studied, independently of the botanical
variety considered, are constitued by the piperitone( 62.9%), geraniol (29.9-34.5%), citronellal
(27.9-32.3%), limonene (10.8%-19.4%), cis-mentha-1(7),8-dien-2-ol (18.4%), trans-mentha-1(7),8-
dien-2-ol (17.0-19.9%), carvotanacetone (17.9%), trans-p-mentha-2,8-dien-1-ol(12.0-17.4%), cisdihydrocarvone
(10.1-17.2%), δ-2-carene (14.4%), myrtenol(11.9%)and citronellol(10.1-11.7%).
The results of physico-chemical analyzes performed suggest a similarity between refractive index
and density of the essential oil of Cymbopogon giganteus whose values are the highest. The
values of the rotatory powers and acid index values did not remain homogeneous samples of
essential oil of the same botanical species. They varied according to plant species studied and
their origins. |