TITLE:
Aromatic Plants from Cataractes Plateau (Congo Basin): Chemical Composition of Inflorescence Essential Oils from Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud.) W. Watson Var. Albescens Acclimatized in Congo-Brazzaville
AUTHORS:
Jean Bruno Bassiloua, Feueltgaldah Christian Bopoundza, Celestine Kiminou, Thomas Silou, Gilles Figuérédo, Jean-Claude Chalchat
KEYWORDS:
Cymbopogon, Inflorescences, Geraniol, Citronellal, Citronellol
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.15 No.7,
July
25,
2025
ABSTRACT: Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud.) W. Wats, a lemongrass native to eastern India introduced to Congo-Brazzaville, has been acclimatised for more than 10 years on the Cataract Plateau (Congo Basin). A lemongrass chemotype (Cymbopogon flexuosus var. albescens) was unexpectedly identified among the lemongrasses in the field, grown in a local experimental lemongrass. The essential oils of the inflorescences of the new chemotype had not been studied until now. The essential oils from the leaves and inflorescences, extracted by steam distillation and analysed by chromatography (GC/FID and GC/MS) for characterisation, mainly contained geraniol (33.0% (inflorescences)/29.1% (leaves)), citral (22.1/15.2%), citronellal (8.3/25.6%), geranyl acetate (7.5/2.7%), citronellol (6.7/9.7%), limonene (2.0/3.5%), citronellyl acetate (1.5/2.3%) and 6-methyl-heptan-5-en-2-one (1.4/0.0%). Compared to that of C. nardus L. Rendle, this composition corresponds to a citronella chemotype.