Volatile Constituents of the Leaves, Fruits and Flowers of Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.)

The essential oils of the leaves, fruits, and flowers of the red and yellow varieties of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) were obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC/MS. The oil of the leaves from red cashew was dominated by (E)- β -ocimene (28.8%), α -copaene (13.6%), andδ -cadinene (9.1%). The major constituents of the oil from fruits of the red variety were palmitic (19.6%) and oleic (19.6%) acids, while palmitic acid (11.4%), furfural (10.0%), 4-hydroxydodecanoic acid lactone (8.2%), (E)-hex-2-enal (7.2%), (Z)-hex-3-enol (6.2%), and hexadecanol (6.2%) were the principal components identified in the oil of yellow cashew. The main constituents found in the oil of the flowers of red cashew were β -caryophyllene (26.0%), methyl salicylate (12.8%), and benzyl tiglate (11.3%).