The genus Cinnamomum

228 K. Nirmal Babu, P.N. Ravindran and M. Shylaja
Table 9.11 Chemical composition (% range) of various chemotypes segregated from a linalool-rich
camphor tree
Compound 1 2 3 4 5 6
-Thujene t 0.03–0.17 t 0.00–0.26 0.5–0.7 0.2
-Pinene t 1.81–2.59 t 0.17–1.49 3.0–4.6 1.5
Camphene t 1.54–1.98 t 0.07–1.10 0.00–0.2 t
-Pinene 0.0–0.17 1.07–1.82 t 0.02–0.72 16.0–24.1 11.0
Myrcene t 1.03–1.60 t 0.00–2.01 0.00–2.0 1.0
-Phellandrene t 0.00–0.25 t 0.00–0.17 0.00–1.6 t
1,8-Cineole 0.10–0.64 2.73–4.13 0.24–0.86 1.96–4.37 53.9–54.2 36.4
Limonene – 0.00–2.91 – – – –
Linalool 90.7–93.3 0.10–1.36 0.72–4.56 15.9–50.4 0.00–3.5 37.5
Camphor 0.78–1.75 75.6–83.5 1.50–3.31 36.5–66.1 t – 3.6 0.6
Terpinen-4-ol 0.17–0.33 0.34–0.72 0.04–0.24 0.09–0.51 0.00–0.9 –
-Terpineol 0.29–0.57 0.35–1.36 0.18–0.94 0.07–0.70 9.00–10.6 6.6
Safrole 0.0–0.10 0.00–0.23 – 0.00–0.61 0.00 – t t
-Copane 0.05–0.21 0.01–0.53 10.00–1.36 0.00–1.12 0.00–0.4 –
-Caryophyllene 0.48–0.68 0.59–1.21 1.84–5.19 0.33–1.04 0.3–0.4 0.2
-Humulene 0.57–0.82 0.65–1.15 2.11–7.52 0.52–1.71 0.5 0.3
(E)-nerolidol 0.43–0.81 t 36.2–58.9 0.06–0.34 t – 1.0 0.5
9-Oxonerolidol 0.30–0.66 t 19.6–28.9 t 0.00–0.2 0.3
-Terpinene – – – – 0.00–0.1 –
p-Cymene – – – – 0.00–0.3 t
z-()-Ocimene – – – – 0.00–0.2 –
(E)--ocimene – – – – 0.00–0.3 –
-Terpinene – – – – 0.00–1.8 1.3
Terpinolene – – – – 0.00–1.8 –
Source: Van Khien et al., 1998.
Notes
1 – Linalool type; 2 – Camphor type; 3 – Nerolidol-oxonerolidol type; 4 – Camphor-linalool type; 5 – -pinene-1,8cineol
type; 6 – 1,8-cineol-linalooltype (single tree); t – trace.
The chemical composition of the camphor tree varies depending upon the chemotype
(or chemovar). Zhu et al. (1993) have listed the chemical composition for cineole type,
borneol type and isonerolidol type of camphor tree from China found in Table 9.12.
Pelissier et al. (1995) analysed the leaf, stem and bark of camphor trees growing in
the Ivory Coast using GC-MS and reported 52 compounds. The main constituents were
camphor (37.8–84.1%) and 1, 8-cineole (1.0–12.0%).
Pino and Fuentes (1998) analysed the composition of leaf oil of camphor trees growing
in Cuba by GC-MS. They identified 39 compounds, the major one being camphor
(71.2%). Chalchat and Valade (2000) analysed the chemical composition of camphor trees
growing in Madagascar. The average chemical composition of five sample trees anlysed by
them is given in Table 9.13. The Madagascar camphor population seems to be predominantly
1,8-cincole type, but is also unique in having sabinene (11.4–14.0%).
Camphor Cultivation in Other Countries
Camphor trees are also grown in many other tropical sub-tropical regions of the world.
In India camphor trees have been successfully cultivated in Dehra Dun, Saharanpur,