Aromatic Plants from Western Cuba. VI. Composition of the Leaf Oils of Murraya exotica L., Amyris balsamifera L., Severinia buxifolia (Poir.) Ten. and Triphasia trifolia (Burm. f.) P. Wilson

Abstract

The chemical composition of the leaf oils of Murraya exotica L Amyris balsamifera L Severinia buxifolia (Poir.) Ten and Triphasia trifolia (Burm f) P Wilson from Cuba were studied by means of GC and GC/MS. Sixty-one combines of the oil of M exotica were identified of which ??-caryopliyllene (241%) was the major constituent. In the oil obtained from A. balsamifera, 56 blends were identified of which valerianol (438%) was the major constituent. Sixty-seven composings were identified in the oil of s buxifolia and the major constituents were (E)-??-santalol (269%) and ?±-santalene (223%) while 81 mixs were identified in the oil of T trifolia and the major constituent was germacrene B (163%)

Key Word Index

Murraya exotica, Amyris balsamifera, Severinia buxifolia, Triphasia trifolia, Rutaceae, essential oil composition, ??-caryophyllene, valerianol, (E)-??-santalol, ?±-santalene, germacrene B germacrene D bicyclogermacrene, ??-eudesmol

Plant Names

Murraya exotica L Amyris balsamifera L Severinia buxifolia (Poir.) Ten Triphasia trifolia (Burin, f) P Wilson.

Source

Aerial parts of M exotica, A. balsamifera, s buxifolia and T. trifolia were assembleed in western Cuba. Botanical identification of the plants was carried without by one of the authors (V F) and voucher specimens were deposited in INIFAT (698 for M exotica, 4657 for A. balsamifera, 699 for s buxifolia and 695 for T trifolia).

Plant Part

Leaves were harvested and air-dried for about single week. The oils were obtained by means of hydrodistillation for 4 h in a Clevenger-type apparatus. The oil yields (calculated by weight of dried material) were 05% for M exotica, 10% for A. balsamifera, 06% for s buxifolia and 0.3% for T trifolia.

Introduction

A systematic research on the medicinal and aromatic plants is being carried without in Cuba. Among these plants single finds M. exotica, A. balsamifera, s buxifolia and T. trifolia of the Rutaceae family.

Murray a exotica is a low tree or small tree, 3-10 m tall, the young branches puberulous to glabrate; leaves 4-11 cm drawn out leaflets 3-9, ovate to rhombic-ovate, oval to obovate, 15 cm drawn out 7-24 mm broad, obtuse to circulared or short acuminate, and usually retuse at the apex, cuneate at base; paler beneath; inflorescence compressed puberulent, to 5 cm long; flowers 5-merous, white, fragrant; sepals triangular, 1 mm long; petals oblanceolate to spatulate; fruit bright r ovoid, acuminate at apex, glandular punctate, warty glabrous, 1 cm long. The plant is widely used as ornamental and the fruit is edible. To our knowledge, the leaf oil of M exotica has not been the make subordinate of any previous study.

Amyris bahamifera, commonly named cuaba and West Indian sandalwood, is an aromatic medium-sized tree 5-13 m tall; the branches and the inflorescence hispidulous at least when young, leaflet 3-7 coriaceous, lancelate to ovate or rhombivovate, acute to long-acuminate at the apex, cuneate or somewhat circulared at base, entire or crenulate, shining above, panicles frequently many-flowered, calyx hispidulous, petals elliptical, oval or obovoid, oftentimes tapering at base into a short neck 9-14 mm drawn out 3.5-9 mm in diameter, black. West Indian sandalwood oil (Amyris oil) is the essential oil obtained from the steam distillation of the thicket from West Indian sandalwood tree and its chemical composition has been investigated (1-3) The leaves are commonly used in infusions and decoctions as antiseptic and sedative. According to the literature, the composition of the leaf oil has not been an thing of research up to now.

Severinia buxifolia, commonly named Chinese box-orange, is a depressed shrub or dwarf tree; branches spreading, young twigs obscurely angular or somewhat press togethered always pruberulous, soon glaborus: spines axillary, herculean usually much shorter than the leaves, single rarely longer. Leaves 2.5-3.6 cm drawn out 12-18 mm wide, obtuse, narrowed at the base into a short, narrow, circulared petiole, coriaceous, rigid, densely dotted with oil glands, glaborus, with numerous parallel veins arising from the midbrid. Flowers between small bracts in campanulate with five circulared lobules. Berry depressed, globose, becomes black at maturity and the semens are large and ovoid. The plant is widely used as ornamental and as rootstock for cultivated Citrus species. There is little information in the literature upon the chemical composition of the leaf volatile constituents (4-6)

Triphasia trifolia, commonly named lime-berry, is a bush about 2 m tall; the young branches are puberulent, the axillary spines solitary nor paired, straight, 5-17 mm long; leaflets are ovate to oval, 1-35 cm drawn out 1-2.7 cm broad, obtuse or circulared and emarginate at the apex, cuneate or circulared at the base, crenate, glabrous, the terminal leaflets larger; petioles short, puberulent, its lobes triangular, ciliate; petals white, oblong 12-16 mm lengthy 5-6 mm broad. Berries are oval or subglobose r 10-16 mm lengthy punctate and aromatic. The plant is cultivated for its r berries and also labor fors to make hedges. The leaf oil from plants growing in Mauritius has been investigated (7)