A study on the influence of extraction methods on the chemical ingredients of the essential oil from the stems of Schefflera octophylla L.

In this study, the essential oil from the stems of Schefflera octophylla L. grown in An Giang province were obtained by steam distillation and extracted by ethanol solution 96%. The results showed that the steam distillation with the use of ethanol solution 96% has the extraction yield of 0,081%, higher than the steam distillation. Chemical ingredients of Schefflera octophylla L. essential oil were identified by using the modern analytical method GC-MS. Twenty-eight components were identified in the essential oil. The major constituents of these oil were caryophyllene (28,85%), alpha-Selinene and bicyclogermacrene (19,29%), beta- Myrcene (9%), and humulene (8,15%). Besides, the main components extracted in ethanol solution 96% were dodecanoic acid (14,34%), falcarinol (7,01%), linolenic acid (5,94%), caryophyllene (5,25%). These results are expected to show a new application of Schefflera octophylla L. essential oil which would increase the economic value of Schefflera octophylla L. in Vietnam.