Composition of the essential oil of Citrus tamurana Hort. ex Tanaka (Hyuganatsu)

The composition of the essential oil of Citrus tamurana Hort. ex Tanaka (Hyuganatsu), isolated by the cold-pressing method, was investigated by capillary GC and GC-MS. The effects of harvesting time, degree of freshness, and size of fruits on the composition of Hyuganatsu peel oils were also determined. A total of 126 volatile constituents were confirmed in the Hyuganatsu oils. The Hyuganatsu oils contained hydrocarbons (95.95-96.95%),aldehydes (0.33-0.62%),alcohols (1.91%-2.64%), ketone (0.40-0.62%), esters (0.28-0.39%), oxides(0.04-0.06%), acids (0.01%), and trace amounts of fugenol methyl ether. Monoterpene hydrocarbons were predominant. Limonene (80.35-82.39%), gamma -terpinene (7.71-9.03%), myrcene (2.11-2.28%), linalol (1.37-2.01%), and alpha -pinene (1.17-1.43%) were the most abundant components in Hyuganatsu oils. The principal sesquiterpene hydrocarbon was trans-beta -farnesene (0.60-1.04%), and its content in Hyuganatsu oils was higher than in oils of other citrus fruits. The number of ketones and the content of l-carvone in Hyuganatsu oils were higher than in other citrus oils.