Multivariate statistical analysis of the essential oils of five Beilschmiedia species from Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Identification of the chemical composition of essential oils is very important for ensuring the quality of finished herbal products. The objective of the study was to analyze the chemical components present in the essential oils of five Beilschmiedia species (i.e. B. kunstleri, B. maingayi, B. penangiana, B. madang, and B. glabra) by multivariate data analysis using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) methods. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and fully characterized by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 108 chemical components were successfully identified from the essential oils of five Beilschmiedia species. The essential oils were characterized by high proportions of β-caryophyllene (B. kunstleri), δ-cadinene (B. penangiana and B. madang), and β-eudesmol (B. maingayi and B. glabra). Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) revealed that chemical similarity was highest for all samples, except for B. madang. The multivariate data analysis may be used for the identification and characterization of essential oils from different Beilschmiedia species that are to be used as raw materials of traditional herbal products.