Baby Sabulal, Rajani Kurup, Sumitha B and Varughese George*

Abstract: Essential oils from the leaves of Myristica malabarica and Gymnacranthera canarica (Myristicaceae) were isolated by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. Seventy-six constituents (98.5%) with β-caryophyllene (27.3%), α−humulene (13.8%) and α−copaene (11.5%) as major components were identified from the leaf oil of M. malabarica. Also, seventy-six constituents (98.1%) with β−caryophyllene (23.4%), linalool (13.4%) and α−humulene (11.3%) as major constituents were identified from the leaf oil of G. canarica. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons constituted 77.3% in M. malabarica leaf oil and 58.1% in G. canarica leaf oil.

<i>Myristicaceae</i> is a small family of evergreen trees comprising 18 genera and over 300 species. They are mostly distributed in the moist lowlands of tropical rain forests. In India, this family is represented by four genera and 15 species. Two species and a variety are endemic to peninsular India (1). The commercially important ‘nutmeg’ is the spicy seed of <i>Myristica fragrans,/i> Houtt. and ‘mace’ is the dried reddish aril of its seed. Nutmeg is used as a flavoring agent and as a preservative. In Indian traditional medicine it is used to cure fever, asthma and heart disease. Nutmeg is also used for the treatment of digestive disorders, kidney disease and lymphatic ailments (2–3). The essential oil from ground nutmeg is used in perfumery, flavor, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The oil is also used externally for rheumatic pain and applied as an emergency treatment for toothache. Myristicin is the major active constituent in nutmeg oil (4–5). <i>Myristica malabarica</i> Lam. is a rare species endemic to the Western Ghats region in India (6–7). It, also known as ‘Bombay nutmeg’, is used to adulterate <i>M. fragrans</i> products. Phytochemical investigation of the heartwood of <i>M. malabarica</i> led to the isolation of 7,4'-dimethoxy-5-hydroxyisoflavone together with other isoflavones, biochanin A and prunetin (8). Purushothaman et al. isolated the diarylnonanoids, malabaricones A-D, from <i>M. malabarica</i> (9). <i>Gymnacranthera</i> is a small genus of trees in the Myristicaceae family. <i>Gymnacranthera canarica</i> (King) Warb. is a rare endemic species mostly distributed in and around the unique fresh water marshy ecosystems called ‘Myristica swamps’ in the Southern Western Ghats (6–7). It is a medium sized tree with smooth brown bark. Its wood is light red or grayish brown, lustrous, with smooth feel and moderately heavy. Its seeds are rich in fat and are crushed and filled in bamboo cuttings to make crude candles (2,10). The seed and aril contain approximately 50% fat and it is used in soap making. The kernels separated from the shells are also rich in fat with its major component as myristic acid (10). Essential oils from these two rare endemic species, <i>M. malabarica</i> and <i>G. canarica</i>, have not been previously studied. Hence, we report the chemical characterization of the leaf oils of <i>M. malabarica</i> and <i>G. canarica</i>.