The Essential Oils Constituent of Etlingera flexuosa (Zingiberaceae), An Endemic Plant from Central Sulawesi

Introduction: The essential oils from rhizomes, pseudostems, and leaves of Etlingera flexuosa, an endemic ginger species of Sulawesi, were studied. Methods: The essential oils were extracted using solvent extraction and hydrodistillation methods and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: The percentage yield of volatile compounds obtained from solvent extraction method was higher than hydrodistillation. By solvent extraction, sesquiterpenes were found abundantly in rhizomes, pseudostems, and leaves with the percentage of 34.16%, 35.20% and 32.70%, respectively. The rhizome and pseudostems were found to contain spathulanol with the high percentage of 3.91% and 3.46%. Meanwhile, by hydrodistillation, the compounds were dominated by fatty acid compunds with the percentage of 82.26%, 82.79% and 76.1% on rhizome, pseudostems and leaves. Glycerol tricaprylate has the high percentage of 66.76% and 82.12% on rhizome and pseudostems, while in leaves, fatty acids 1,2,3-propanetriyl ester-decanoic acid was the highest with the percentage of 61.81%. Sesquiterpenes was the second with the percentage of 10.36%, 11.15%, and 11.61% in rhizomes, pseudostems, and leaves, respectively. Conclusion: The most essential oils of E. flexuosa was obtained from the solvent extraction method.