Screening of essential oil obtained from inflorescence of lemongrass [<i style="">Cymbopogon flexuosus </i>(Nees ex Steud.) Wats] accessions

Abstract

Inflorescences of lemongrass [<i style="">Cymbopogon flexuosus </i>(Nees ex Steud.) Wats<b style="">]</b> accessions RLJ-TC-1, RLJ-TC-4, RLJ-TC-9 and RLJ-TC-10 were freshly harvested at premature and mature stages. These were hydro-distilled for extraction of oil and compared with standard cultivar OD-19. Gas-chromatographic analysis of the oils from premature and mature inflorescences showed eight major constituents consisting of 90% of the oil. Citral (neral + geranial) was found to be the major constituent. Geranyl acetate was higher in the oil of pre-mature inflorescences and decreased on maturity, while citral content increased in the oil of mature inflorescences. Oil percentage was found higher in pre-mature inflorescence as compared to mature inflorescence and varied significantly (<i style="">P</i>=0.01). Major components (%) present in these oils were compared with OD-19, a standard cultivar and found to be at par.