Constituents of the Essential Oil from the Rhizomes of Hedychium acuminatum Roscoe

Seventy-five constituents (99%) of the essential oil of the rhizomes of Hedychium acuminatum Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) were identified. The main constituent is 1,8-cineole (76%). The oil contains 0.5% of 2-alkanones, 0.6% of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, 1.3% of sesquiterpene alcohols and 0.6% of drimane and labdane derivatives. Olfactorily interesting are the drim-8(12)-en-11-al (syn. albicanal or gamma-bicyclofarnesal) and the 11-nordrim-8-en-12-al, as well as the known trans-5,5,8a-trimethyldecal-2-one and gamma-bicyclohomofarnesal (Ambral (R)). The structures of the new sesquiterpene hydrocarbon, drim-8(12)-ene and of the new 15,16-bisnorlabda-8(17), 12-dien-14-al were confirmed by H-1- and C-13-NMR data.