Constituent of Essential Oil from Ficus benghalensis L.

The characterization of the leaf essential oil of Ficus benghalensis L. (Moraceae) was performed by gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Monoterpene compounds (5.9%) are less common in the oil while the sesquiterpene compounds accounted for 85.8% of the total oil content. The main constituents of the oil were the sesquiterpenes α-cadinol (25.1%), germacrene-D-4-ol (14.9%), γ-cadinene (11.8%) and α-muurolene (9.6%). This is the first report on the volatile constituents of F. benghalensis.

Aims: To report the compounds identified in the hydrodistilled leaf oil of Ficus benghalensis grown in Nigeria.

Study Design: The design of the study involved the distillation of essential oil from air-dried leaf of F. benghalensis and subsequent analysis of the constituents.

Place and Duration of Study: Leaf sample of F. benghalensis were collected from Omileye area, Ore Town, Odigbo Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria, in March 2013.

Methodology: The air-dried and pulverized leaf of F. benghalensis was subjected to hydro distillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus for 4 h. The constituents of the distilled oil were analyzed by using GC and GC/MS.

Results: The main constituents of the oil were the sesquiterpene α-cadinol (25.1%), germacrene-D-4-ol (14.9%), γ-cadinene (11.8%) and α-muurolene (9.6%).

Conclusion: Although, this is the first report on the volatile constituents of F. benghalensis, the observed compositional pattern was found to vary from data obtained from previously analyzed oils from other member of the genus Ficus grown in Nigeria.