Comparative analysis of the essential oils from normal and hairy roots of <i>Panax japonicas</i> C.A. Meyer

Abstract

The essential oils were extracted with steam distillation from normal and hairy roots of Panax japonicus C.A. Meyer. The constituents of essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that 40 and 46 kinds of compounds were identified from the essential oils of normal and hairy roots; they amount to 93.3 and 95.89% of the total detected constituents, respectively. Both of them own 18 kinds of same compounds, relative peak areas all exceed 50%, except that, the roots alone own 22 kinds of compounds, and the hairy roots alone own 28 kinds of compounds. In the roots, those higher content compounds were hexanoic acid (11.6%), falcarinol (10.04%) and 3-methylbutyric acid (9.56%); however, in the hairy roots, they were caproic acid (13.92%), spathulenol (9.96%), 1H-cycloprop azulene (9.15%). These compounds have lots of bioactivity, for anticancer, antitumor and antibiosis among others. The result showed tremendous value on producing the medical components with the skill of hairy roots.

Key words: Panax japonicus, essential oils, gas chromatography mass  spectrometry.