Abstract

NEW APPROACH TOWARDS TUNING OF ESSENTIAL OIL PROPERTIES BY DIFFERENT GRINDING METHODS IN CYMBOPOGON CITRATUS AND EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS

Rashmi*, Sapna Bhardwaj and A. K. Singh

ABSTRACT

Background and objectives: Interest in essential oils has revived in recent decades, with their various applications in perfumes, food and flavor, cosmetics, aromatherapy and pharmaceutical industries. However, in order to improve the extraction yield and quality of the essential oil new environmentally friendly and low cost approach was developed to grinding of plant material before subjecting it to hydrodistillation. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of mixer and stone grinding on yield and quality of essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus and Eucalyptus globulus. Methodology: In mixer and stone grinding methods, the leaves were grinded in mixer grinder and on stone grinder respectively and then subjected to hydro-istillation by using Clevenger apparatus. Results: The highest essential oil percentage was found in stone grinding in comparison to mixer grinding and conventional hydro-distillation methods both in C. citratus and E. globulus and it was 0.82%, 0.70%, 0.40% and 0.84%, 0.69%, 0.38% respectively. Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of lemongrass essential oil shows the presence of α-citral, β-citral, geraniol, geranyl acetate,eudesmol and caryophyllene oxide as major costituents. The main chemical constituents of eucalyptus essential oil are pinene, phellandrene, 1, 8-cineole, limonene, terpinen-4-ol, alloaromadenderne and globulol. Conclusion: This has proved that the mixer/stone grinding of plant material before hydrodistilation did not adversely influence the composition of essential oils but improve the yield percentage and quality of essential oil and provided a good alternative for the extraction of essential oil from aromatic plants which is economic and ecofriendly.

Keywords: Hydrodistillaton, mixer and stone grinding, C. citratus and E. globulus.