Chemical composition of essential oils from rhizomes, leaves and flowers of Curcuma longa L. from Reunion Island

Forty-four constituents were identified in the oils isolated from the rhizomes, leaves and flowers of Curcuma longa L. from Reunion island. The oils were obtained by steam distillation. Large proportions of turmerones (approximately 37%), zingiberene (11.8%), beta-sesquiphellandrene (8.1%) and terpinolene (15.8%) were found in the rhizome oil. The oils of the leaves and flowers were chemically similar, and particularly rich in terpinolene: 76.8% and 67.4%, respectively. The same sesquiterpenoids were found in all three oils, but in higher amounts in the rhizomes.