Analysis of essential oils from different organs of Scutellaria baicalensis.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the differences among essential oils from the fresh flowers, stem leaves, roots and seeds of Scutellaria baicalensis. METHODS: The oils was obtained by hydrodistillation and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and the Kovats retention index. The relative contents of the components were determined by the peak-area normalization method adopted in gas chromatography. RESULTS: Fifty-three compounds constituting 91.16% of flower oil, forty-eight compounds comprising 88.48% of stem-leaf oil, thirty-nine compounds representing 91. 79% of root oil and thirty-two compounds accounting 84.58% of seed oil have been identified. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the components and relative contents of the essential oils among flowers, stem leaves, roots and seeds have significant differences. Each of them had a great range of potential utilities and a prospect of development.