Chemical composition of essential oil by different extraction methods and fatty acid analysis of the leaves of Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni

The chemical composition of essential oils of Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni leaves grown in Bangladesh Sugarcane Research Institute, Pabna, Bangladesh and obtained by two different extraction methods (hydro distillation and steam distillation) were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analyses (GC-MS). One hundred and twenty three peaks were obtained from hydro distillation where 62 compounds were identified as major compounds such as alpha-cadinol (2.98%), caryophyllene oxide (1.23%), (-)-spathulenol (2.21%) and beta-guaiene (0.32%), and 50 peaks were obtained from the steam distillation where all the major compounds were present. After approximately 115 days the latter again ran the samples where only 4 peaks were identified of which none of these were constituents of essential oil in Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni. The fatty acid analysis by GLC showed palmitic acid (86.50%) as the most abundant fatty acid in the leaves of Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni. (C) 2012 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.