Studies on essential oils, part 28: Chemical composition, antifungal and insecticidal activities of rhizome volatile oil of Homalomena aromatica Schott.

HPLC and CC-MS analysis of rhizome oil of Homalomena aromatica showed the p resence of 39 components accounting for 96.9% of the total oil. The major c omponent was linalool (62.1%), followed by terpinen-4-ol (17.2%), alpha -te rpineol(2.4%), gamma -terpinene (1.9%), alpha -cadinol(1.5%), geraniol(1.4% ), nerol(1.4%), alpha -terpinene(1.0%), spatulenol(1.0%) and T-cadinol(1.0% ). However, the higher percentage of linalool(87.5%) was obtained in HPLC s tudies. This oil showed good antifungal activity against Curvularia pallesc ens, Aspergillus niger and Fusarium graminearum as well as also showing ins ecticidal behaviour against white termite (Odontotermes obesus Rhamb.). Cop yright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.