COMPARATIVE ESSENTIAL OIL COMPOSITION OF LAURUS NOBILIS, SYZYGIUM GUINEENSE AND SYZYGIUM EUCALYPTOIDES IN SEARCH FOR NIGERIAN BAY LEAF – PART I

Bay leaf is an aromatic leaf commonly used in cooking for its distinctive flavor and fragrance. The bay leaf sold in Nigerian markets being Laurus nobilis (L. nobilis) is imported. The leaf of Syzygium guineense (S. guineense) and Syzygium eucalyptoides (S. eucalyptoides) have a long history of use as vegetables and spices in Nigeria. In this study, leaf of S. guineense, S. eucalyptoides, and a commercial sample of L. nobilis being the gold standard for bay leaf, were evaluated for comparative essential oil composition in search of Nigerian bay leaf. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus. The essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The major chemical constituents of the essential oil of L. nobilis were eucalyptol (9.33%), α- pinene (8.31%), and camphene (3.17%). S. guineensec contained β-myrcene (12.29%), globulol (7.60%), phytol (6.63%) and trans-ocimene (6.08%). S. eucalyptoides leaf essential oil contained 6-octadecanoic acid (16.37%), phytol (8.46%), 6-octadenanoic acid (9%), pentadenanoic acid (7.26%), caryophyllenyl alcohol (6.17%). L. nobilis leaf essential oil contained 75 constituents; 16 out of S. guineense essential oil constituents (21%) matched those of L. nobilis and S. eucalyptoides had 6 correspondings to 8% match. This study provided preliminary information for; further, assessment of S. guineense, S. eucalyptoides and other aromatic plants for possible use as Nigerian bay leaf and a replacement for L. nobilis.