Study On Leaf Essential Oils And Epicuticular Waxes From Eight Eugenia Species

• Main Author: Siti Noaini, Zuki
• Format: Final Year Project Report
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) 2009
• Subjects: QK Botany
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/1501/4/Noaini%28fulltext%29.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/1501/

Eugenia species that belong to the family of Myrtaceae were collected from various locations in Sarawak. Essential oils and epicuticular waxes were extracted from leaves of several Eugenia species and subsequently analyzed using capillary gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. The compound identified in the leaf essential oils and waxes in Eugenia species were I analyzed statistically using clusters analysis to determine their correlation betwen species. The percentage of essential oils in eight species of Eugenia ranging from 0.1 % -2.3% (v/w) with Eugenia christmannii and Eugenia sp.A give the highest and the lowest yield, respectively. The major components identified in leaf oils of E. sp.A was u-curcumene (47.19%), Eugenia sp.B was p-caryophyUene (15.46%), Eugenia sp.C was methyl laurate (12.71%), while the major component for Eugenia sp.D and Syzygium polyanthum were isobornyl propionate with 6.02% and 28.75% ~tively. Syzygium aquaticum had citronellyl isobutyrate (14.24%) as the major component. E. christmannii was geranyl acetone (13.71 %) while Eugenia stipulata was dimethyl pyrazine (91.26%). The cluster analysis revealed that there was significant relationship between species E. christmanni, E. sp.D, S. aquaticum and E. sp.B with same chemical components existed. Leaf epicuticular waxes of Eugenia spp. were separated using n-hexane and the concentration of n-alkanes in the waxes was determined. The highest concentration of total nalkanes was observed for E. sp.B, followed by E. sp.D and E. sp.C with 13406.85, 3216.50 and 2218.02 nglg dry weight, respectively. No biological activity on Artemia salina was observed for all Eugenia leaf oils. However, bioassay tests on Coptotermes sp. have shown significant biological activities for the essential oils from E. christmannii and E. sp.D.