Analysis of volatile secondary metabolites from Colombian Xylopia aromatica (Lamarck) by different extraction and headspace methods and gas chromatography

Hydrodistillation (HD), simultaneous distillation-solvent extraction (SDE), microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MWHD), and supercritical fluid (CO2) extraction (SFE), were employed to isolate volatile secondary metabolites from Colombian Xylopia aromatica (Lamarck) fruits. Static headspace (S-HS), simultaneous purge and trap (P&T) in solvent (CH2Cl2), and headspace (HS) solid-phase microextraction (SPME) were utilised to obtain volatile fractions from fruits of X. aromatica trees, which grow wild in Central and South America, and are abundant in Colombia. Kováts indices, mass spectra or standard compounds, were used to identify more than 50 individual components in the various volatile fractions. β-Phellandrene was the main component found in the HD and MWHD essential oils, SDE and SFE extracts (61, 65, 57, and ca. 40%, respectively), followed by β-myrcene (9.1, 9.3, 8.2 and 5.1%), and α-pinene (8.1, 7.3, 8.1 and 5.9%). The main components present in the volatile fractions of the X. aromatica fruits, isolated by S-HS, P&T and HS-SPME were β-phellandrene (53.8, 35.7 and 39%), β-myrcene (13.3, 12.3 and 10.1%), p-mentha-1(7),8-diene (7.1, 10.6 and 10.4%), α-phellandrene (2.2, 5.0 and 6.4%), and p-cymene (2.2, 4.7 and 4.4%), respectively.