Chemical composition of ocimum sanctum essential oil by GC-MS analysis

Abstract

The essential oil from the dried leaves of Ocimum Sanctum was extracted by hydro distillation and after drying with sodium sulfate anhydrous it was analyzed by GC-MS. The oil was found to be a mixture of hydrocarbons (26.463%), alcohols (19.326%) and oxides (3.252%). Among the hydrocarbons caryophyllene (22.265%) was found to be a major component followed by α-caryophyllene (2.071%), α-pinene (0.125%), camphene (0.121%), α-cubebene (0.123%), copaene (1.637%) and α-bourboene (0.244%). Among the alcohols eugenol (15.906%) was found in large quantity followed by Borneol (0.468%) and Methyl iso-eugenol (2.952%). Caryophyllene oxide (3.252%) was also found in appreciable amount.