Essential oil composition of allspice [Pimenta dioica (L.) Merill.] leaf from the Western Ghats, India

Abstract

The chemical composition of essential oils from the fresh leaf of Pimenta dioica (L.) Merill. growing in the Western Ghats, India was investigated for the first time. Hydro-distillation method was used to extract the essential oil, which was then evaluated using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The yields of essential oil for fresh leaf were 0.6% (v/w). The predominant constituents of the essential oil (EO) of fresh leaf were oxygenated phenylpropenes (75.70 %). The major constituents of fresh leaf EOs were eugenol (67.67%), myrcene (10.40%), chavicol (8.03%), and limonene (4.55%). The earlier reported values of eugenol (54.00%), myrcene (16.00%), and chavicol (12.50%). As prominent constituents in the EO of P. dioica leaf, these biologically active compounds offer a novel potential source for phenylpropene and monoterpenes, which can be employed in culinary, fragrance, and medical applications.