ANALYSIS OF ESSENTIAL OIL COMPOUND CONTENT OF LEMONGRASS (Cymbopogon nardus L. Rendle) AND LAVENDER (Lavandula angustifolia) USING THE GC-MS METHOD

Abstract

Essential oils are volatile compounds that are widely used in the fields of health, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and aromatherapy because they have various biological activities. Lemongrass (Cymbopogon nardus L. Rendle) and lavender(Lavandula angustifolia) is an aromatic plant that produces essential oils with potential relaxant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and insect repellent activities. This study aims to obtain essential oils from citronella and lavender through steam distillation and identify their chemical compound profiles using the Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) method. 6000 g of citronella and lavender simplicia were distilled for ±7 hours. The essential oil yield obtained was then calculated and analyzed using GC-MS. The results showed that the yield of lavender essential oil was 0.51%, higher than the yield of citronella essential oil of 0.44%. GC-MS analysis identified 27 compounds in citronella essential oil, with the main components being 2,6-octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (Z)- (31.73%), citronellol (27.78%), E-citral (9.60%), neral (7.61%), and citronellal (2.18%). Meanwhile, lavender essential oil contains 39 compounds, with the dominant components being eucalyptol (34.41%), bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one, 1,7,7-trimethyl- (14.10%), ?-bisabolol (12.19%), linalool (10.85%) and Bicyclo 3.1.1heptane,6,6-dimethyl-2-methyle (5.26%). The results of the study indicate that steam distillation is effective in obtaining essential oils from citronella and lavender, while GC-MS analysis can comprehensively identify their volatile components. These findings can serve as a basis for characterizing and controlling the quality of essential oils, which have the potential to be developed as raw materials for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and aromatherapy