The genus Cinnamomum

206 Akhil Baruah and Subhan C. Nath
Table 8.3 Composition of essential oil from a sample of C. tamala
Component %
-Pinene 10.54
Camphene 3.00
-Pinene 10.42
Benzaldehyde 1.40
Myrcene 0.08
Limonene 3.21
p-Cymene 0.02
-Linalool 60.73
Benzylacetate 0.11
-Terpineol 0.24
Cinnamic aldehyde 0.24
Geraniol 2.24
Lindylacetate 0.30
Eugenol 0.85
Total 93.44
Source: Nath et al., 1994b.
samples cinnamaldehyde and linalool were found to be the chief constituents. Nath
et al. (1994b) identified 14 compounds that constituted 93.44% of the oil
(Table 8.3). Linalool was the major component (60.73%), and eugenol and cinnamic
aldehyde were less than 1%. Physico-chemical constants of this oil were: n D 28
1.4791; d 28 0.09034; [] D28 6. In composition this particular sample is
a quite distinct chemotype of C. tamala.
Upadhyaya et al. (1994) analysed the leaf oil C. tamala from Nepal using GC.MS
and reported the following constituents: linalool (54.66%), alpha-pinene (9.67%),
p-cymene (6.43%) beta pinene (4.45%), limonene (2.64%) and 16 minor components
(less than 2%). Cinnamaldehyde concentration was only 1.16%, while engenol was
absent.
Nath et al. (1999) carried out a comparative chemical study of four tamala types
(morpho types) from the north-east regions of India. The oil content of the four types
were 0.7% (type 3), 1.0% (type 1), 1.3% (type 2) and 1.5% (type 4). The chemical
composition of the leaf oil of the four morphotypes is given in Table 8.4. The major
constituent in all the four was eugenol accounting for 77.5%, 68.1%, 51.9%
and 82.5%, respectively, in types 1–4. In type 1, the other important components
were -phellandrene, p-cymene, -pinene and caryophyllene oxide. -phellandrene,
-pinene, p-cymene, 1,8-cineole, eugenyl acetate, linalool and -terpineol were the
other important compounds in the oil of type 2. In type 3, -phellandrene, 1,8-cineole,
p-cymene, -pinene, linalool, -terpineol and eugenyl acetate occurred in above 1%
concentration. -phellandrene, eugenyl acetate, -caryophyllene and p-cymene were
the other important compounds in type 4 (Table 8.4).
Related Aspects and Properties
Joshi and Tandon (1989, 1990, 1991) reported the isolation and growth factor
requirements of leaf gall induced by a mite on C. tamala. The growth regulator