Chemical Composition of Essential Oils of Plumeria rubra L. Grown in Nigeria

The chemical compositions of essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of the leaves and flowers of pink-flower Plumeria rubra L., grown in Nigeria were being reported. The chemical analysis was performed by means of gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. The major leaves oil constituents were (Z)-β-farnesene (16.0%), α-patchoulene (13.0%), limonene (12.1%), (E)-β-farnesene (10.8%), α-copaene (7.2%) and phytol (6.3%). However, the quantitative significant compounds of the flowers oil were (E)-non-2-en-1-ol (15.7%), limonene (10.8%), phenyl acetaldehyde (9.0%), n-tetradecanal (8.8%), γ-elemene (6.5%) and (E,E)-α-farnesene (6.1%). This is the first report on the volatile constituents from the leaves of Plumeria rubra.

Aims: The aim of the of the present study was to examine the constituents of the leaves and flowers oils of P. rubra grown in Southwest Nigeria in details, and to compare the results obtained with those reported earlier.

Study Design: Isolation of essential oils from the leaves and flowers of Plumeria rubra and determination of their chemical constituents.

Place and Duration of Study: Fresh plant materials of P. rubra (flowers and leaves) were collected from a location within the Campus of Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos State, Nigeria, in October 2013.

Methodology: Fresh leaves and flowers were hydodistilled in an all glass Clevenger apparatus and their chemical constituents were analyzed by GC and GC/MS.

Results: A total of twenty six compounds were identified in the leaves and the major ones were (Z)-β-farnesene (16.0%), α-patchoulene (13.0%), limonene (12.1%), (E)-β-farnesene (10.8%), α-copaene (7.2%) and phytol (6.3%) while the flowers had twenty seven compounds with (E)-non-2-en-1-ol (15.7%), limonene (10.8%), phenyl acetaldehyde (9.0%) and n-tetradecanal (8.8%) occurring in higher percentages.

Conclusion: The chemical composition of the volatile compounds differed from each other and from data reported previously from other parts of the world.