CHEMICAL INVESTIGATION AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY EVALUATION OF CYMBOPOGON CITRATUS ESSENTIAL OILS

Abstract

   Essential oils of Cymbopogon citratus L. in Thanh Son, Phu Tho were isolated by a steam-hydrodistillation method. The physico-chemical properties of the oils including ester, acidic, and saponification values were determined. The chemical compositions of the oils were analysed by GC/MS. The results indicated that the physico-chemical values and the compositions of the leaf oil are higher than those of the culm oil. However, only culm oil showed to be active in biological activity screenings. At the concentration of 500 μg/ml, culm oil exhibited positive DPPH radical scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, while the others were not active.Keywords: Cymbopogon citratus, essential oils, chemical compositions