Essential oil composition of Zingiberaceae species from Mauritius

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from the hydrodistillation of the rhizomes of the common ginger (Zingiber officinale) and three ginger-lilies (Hedychium coccineum, H.flavescens and H. coronarium) grown in Mauritius has been investigated by CC and GC/MS. Zingiber officinale oil was characterized by the presence of geranial (16.3%), neral (10.3%), zingiberene (9.5%), beta-sesquiphellandrene (6.3%) and ar-curcumene (5.1%). The oils of the ginger lilies were characterized as follows: H. coccineum: (E)-nerolidol (44.4%), trans-sesquisabinene hydrate (24.2%); H. flavescens: linalool (35.0%),1,8-cineole (15.3%), beta-pinene (14.7%), alpha-terpineol (14.5%) and alpha-pinene (5.3%); H. coronarium: alpha-muurolol (16.8%), alpha-terpineol (15.9%),1,8-cineole (11.2%), an unknown sesquiterpene alcohol (7.0%), alpha-fenchyl acetate (5.6%), citronellal (5.5%) and (E)-methyl cinnamate (5.1%).