Analysis of different grades of Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis Lamk.) oil through GC-MS

Abstract

The study was carried to find out differences in the composition of Agarwood oil obtained from highly infected (Grade 1), moderately infected (Grade 2), less infected (Grade 3) and healthy wood (Grade 4) by using gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS). Highly infected wood oil (G1) contains aromadendrene2 (24.76%), valencene2 (17.53%), + calarene (9.63%), 1(5), 6-Guaiadiene (8.76%), etc. Moderately infected wood oil (G2) contains Tau-cadinol (16.90%), valencene2 (1.73%), aromadendrene2 (1.73%), etc. Less infected wood oil (G3) contains 1-Methyl-1-caprolactone (39.10%), 7(Hydroxymethyl)-2-methoxy-xanthone (32.06%), aromadendrene2 (1.58%), valencene2 (1.58%), etc. Healthy wood oil (G4) contains 3-Carbethoxy-3-butenyl Crotonate (29.12%), Methyl 5, 5-dimethoxy-4, 4-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2- vinylpentanoate (24.68%), etc. Since the the presence of aromadendrene and valencene plays an important role in grading of Agarwood oil, quantity of these two compounds in the above mentioned four grades of wood are in the following order G1>G2>G3 and absent in G4 grade wood oil.