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The genus Cinnamomum

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350 M. Shylaja, P.N. Ravindran and K. Nirmal Babu<br />

Recently its cultivation has been encouraged in China. Safrole is a very valuable chemical<br />

and is used in the perfume industry.<br />

2-Methylene-3-buten-1-yl benzoate containing <strong>Cinnamomum</strong> sp. from Vietnam<br />

Dung et al. (1997) reported an unusual chemical composition of a <strong>Cinnamomum</strong> species<br />

(known as ‘Re Gung’ in Vietnamese) occurring in the Ha Bac province of Vietnam. This<br />

species contained 2-methylene-3-buten-1-yl benzoate as the major component in the<br />

leaf and stem essential oils. <strong>The</strong> content of this unusual chemical was 85.9% in leaf oil,<br />

92.4% in stem oil and 44.2% in wood oil. Camphor was the second most abundant<br />

constituent of wood essential oil (13%). Root essential oil contained mainly safrole<br />

(63.8%) and camphor (17.9%). Dung et al. (1997) have elucidated the structure of<br />

2-methylene-3-buten-1-yl benzoate from spectral data.<br />

<strong>Cinnamomum</strong> spp. from Hubei Province, China<br />

Guang-Fu and Yang (1988) investigated the <strong>Cinnamomum</strong> spp. occurring in the Hubei<br />

province of China (Table 15.16). <strong>The</strong>se workers have done a cluster analysis based on<br />

the occurrence of chemical constituents, and observed good correlation among morphological<br />

and chemical characteristics. <strong>The</strong>y found that the species were clustered in<br />

three groups: Group (1) – C. appelianum, C. pauciflorum, C. wilsonii (2), C. wilsonii<br />

(1); Group (2) – C. bodinieri (1) and (2), C. septentrionale and C. platyphyllum; Group (3) –<br />

C. camphora, C. camphora var. linoolifera, C. parthenoxylon, and C. longepaniculatum. Based<br />

on Q clustering analysis the above workers also proposed the probable relationships<br />

among the species (mainly in the light of chemical relationships).<br />

C. macrocarpum Hooker f.<br />

C. macrocarpum Hooker f. Fl. Brit. Ind. 5, 132 et 133, 1886; Gamble, Fl. Madras Pt 7,<br />

1225, 1925 (reprint 2, 857, 1957).<br />

This species is a medium-large tree occurring in higher elevations of Western Ghats<br />

(1500 m) of south India. <strong>The</strong> fruit of this species is the largest in the <strong>genus</strong>.<br />

Table 15.16 <strong>Cinnamomum</strong> sp. from China and their major constituents<br />

Sp. Major components<br />

C. bodinieri var. hupehanum (1) Citral<br />

C. bodinieri var. hupehanum (2) Camphor<br />

C. camphora Cineole<br />

C. camphora var. linaloolifera Linalool<br />

C. pauciflorum -Pinene<br />

C. appelianum Cineole<br />

C. longepaniculatum Bulnesol<br />

C. platyphyllum trans-Methyl-isoeugenol<br />

C. parthenoxylon Linalool<br />

C. septentirionale trans-Methyl-isoeugenol<br />

C. wilsonii (1) Citral<br />

C. wilsonii (2) Cinnamicacetate<br />

Source: Guang-Fu and Yang, 1998.

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