The genus Cinnamomum

332 M. Shylaja, P.N. Ravindran and K. Nirmal Babu
0.08% essential oil. The essential oil yield from flowers was 0.13% from Jorhat and
0.6% from Sibsagar. These authors have identified 32–75 compounds. The major
constituents are the following:
Bark oil: Jorhat Sibsagar
1,8-Cineole 31.3% 7.2%
-Terpineole 21.3% 12.7%
Linalool 20.0% 19.9%
The predominant components in the flower essential oils from Jorhat and Sibsagar
were -pinene (42.9 and 17%) and -pinene (24.9 and 17.2%).
Baruah and Nath (2000a) reported the occurance of three chemically distinct types
of C. bejolghota. They were (i) linalool – -terpineol type; (ii) linalool – -phellandrene
type; and (iii) linalool type. Morphologically the linalool – -phellandrene type
exhibited distinct variations, the other two types were more or less similar. Baruah and
Nath (1998, 2000a) provide micromorphological descriptions of these three variants.
Baruah et al. (1997) analysed the composition of the leaf oil of the linalool type by GC,
and recorded the following compounds (Table 15.2).
Nath et al. (1999) reported the chemical composition of another chemotype having a
distinctly different chemical make up. The leaf oil of this sample had 32.82% alphaphellandrene,
24.45% linalool, 11.75% -farnesene, 5.55% 1,8-cineole and 5.30%
-pinene (Table 15.3). Bark oil contains -terpineol, linalool, nerolidol and methyl
cinnamate as the major constituents.
C. capparu-coronde Blume
C. capparu-coronde Blume, Rumphia, 1 :34; 1836; Nees, Syst. Laur. 665–66, 1836; Thw.
Enu. Pl-zey. 252, 1861; Miq. Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno Batavum, 1: 256, 1864; Meissn,
in DC Prodr. 15(1): 20, 1864., Kostermans, Bib. Laur. 276, 1964.
This species is endemic to Sri Lanka. The bark has a distinct smell of nutmeg or
cloves (this species is known locally as kapparu kurundu – camphor cinnamon). The bark
is used in tribal and local medicines and is also sold in the market.
A medium sized tree, with smooth to rough bark, light brown to dark brown having
a strong smell of nutmeg or clove. Leaves 7–14 2–5.5 cm, opposite, ovate – oblong
Table 15.2 Major components (%) in the essential oil of C. bejolghota
Methyl cinnamate 0.17 -Humulene 0.15
Linalool 57.41 -Phellandrene 1.20
1,8-Cineole 10.20 Borneol 0.70
-Farnesene 9.30 (z)Methyl isoeugenol 0.56
-Caryophyllene 2.26 -Terpeneol 0.43
Linalyl acetate 1.75 Camphene 0.15
Terpinen-4-ol 1.75 Myrcene 0.50
-Pinene 1.30 p-Cymene 0.23
-Pinene 1.30 -Terpinene 0.15
-Phellandrene 1.24 Terpinolene 0.05
Camphor 0.09 Methyl eugenol 0.24
(E)-cinnamaldehyde 0.04 Ethyl cinnamate 0.13
Eugenol 0.23 Methyl isoeugenol 0.56
Source: Baruah et al., 1997.