Chemical Components of Four Essential Oils in Aromatherapy Recipe

Abstract

This study focused on characterization of the chemical components of an aromatherapy recipe. The formulation consisted of four blended essential oils; rosemary oil, eucalyptus oil, pine oil and lime oil (volume ratio 6: 2: 1: 1). The single and combination essential oils were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The analysis of GC-MS data revealed that several components exist in the mixture. The five most important components of the blended essential oils were 1,8-cineole (35.6 %), α-pinene (11.1 %), limonene (9.6 %), camphor (8.4 %), and camphene (6.6 %). The main components of rosemary oil were 1,8-cineole (37.3 %), α-pinene (19.3 %), camphor (14.7 %), camphene (8.8 %), and β-pinene (5.5 %); of eucalyptus oil 1,8-cineole (82.6 %) followed by limonene (7.4 %), o-cymene (4.3 %), γ-terpinene (2.7 %), and α-pinene (1.5 %); of pine oil terpinolene (26.7 %), α-terpineol (20.50 %), 1-terpineol (10.8 %), α-pinene (6.0 %), and γ-terpineol (5.3 %); and of lime oil limonene (62.9 %), γ-terpinene (11.5 %), α-terpineol (7.6 %), terpinolene (6.0 %), and α-terpinene (2.8 %). The present study provided a theoretical basis for the potential application of blended essential oils to be used as an aromatherapy essential oil recipe. GC-MS serves as a suitable and reliable method for the quality control of the chemical markers. © 2015 SAGE Publications Inc.