IDENTIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL OILS FROM THE LEAVES OF 11 SPECIES OF ERIOBOTRYA

Essential oils are regarded as the major bioactive compounds and exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, anti-viral and antioxidant activities. The contents and components of essential oils present in plant tissues depend largely on germplasm resource. In this study, essential oils in leaves of 11 species of Eriobotrya were extracted with ethyl ether and were then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 66 components were identified and the major components were benzoic acid methyl ester, heptacosane, squalene, neophytadiene and hexacosane. The species 'Obovata leaf' exhibited higher contents of squalene and benzoic acid methyl ester compared to other species, suggesting a higher utilization value. The clustering analysis on the basis of the essential oils indicated that the 11 species of Eriobotrya can be classified into 3 groups, i.e. the first group 'Oak leaf', 'Taiwan', 'Bengal', 'Obovata leaf', 'Hengchun', 'Guangxi' and 'Big flower' loquats, the second group the common loquat, and 'Tibet', 'Zaozhong 6' and 'Daduhe' loquats, and the third group 'Fragrant' loquat. The differences in contents of phytol, squalene, neophytadiene and lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid 3-hydroxyl-methyl ester among the three groups indicated the oil profiles of the 11 species of Eriobotrya. The study can help to increase utilization of Eriobotrya species.