Evaluation of Essential Oil Extracted from Acorus calamus Rhizomes and Leaves

Abstract-Essential oils are volatile complex compounds which are characterized by a strong odour and are formed naturally by aromatic plants as secondary metabolites. The practical value of essential oils in daily life is explored through the study of numerous physicochemical characteristics (Parthiban et al., 2011). Physicochemical characteristics indirectly influence the quality of the essential oils. The commercial importance of oils mostly depends on these physicochemical characteristics, which provide baseline data to determine its suitability for consumption. Therefore, the present study was taken to evaluate characteristics of the essential oil extracted from the leaves and rhizomes of Acoruscalamus which is a wild aromatic plant species growing in the lower Himalayan region and the essential oil extracted from the plant is used frequently in skin care and aromatherapy to uplift mood and relieve stress. Essential oil was extracted from both rhizome and leaves (Ac R and Ac L) of Acoruscalamus and are analysed for characteristics like yield, specific gravity, viscosity, refractive index, acid number, saponification value, etc. Results indicated that that essential oil Ac R is more superior to Ac L in quality enhancing its commercial importance and can be taken up for further studies.