Extraction and Analysis of Essential Oils from Cypress Species (Cupressus lusitanica and Taxodium distichum) from Selected Areas in Kenya

Abstract

The viability of extracting essential oils from cypress species Taxodium distichum and Cupressus lusitanica by Clevenger distillation has been examined. Reasonable quantities of essential oils are recovered from the leaves and bark. The extracted oil finds application in the cosmetic and medical fields. The first objective was to determine the yield of essential oil extracted from the bark and leaves of both cypress species. The study reveals a very low yield of essential oils recovered (0.05-3%). It is reported that the yield was higher from the leaves and bark of T. distichum (0.2252%) and (0.03125%) compared to C. lusitanica with a yield of (0.135%) and (0.0241%) over a duration of 6 hrs. Both species exhibited yellow essential oil from the leaves while bark yielded brown. Compounds present in the oil were determined using GC-MS. 46 compounds were isolated. The results further show that Totarol (2-phenanthrenol,4b,5,6,7,8,8a,9,10-octahydro-4b,8,8-trimethyl-1-(1-methylethyl) -(4bS-trans) were the only compound present in the leaves and bark of both species. Research has found Totarol to have antimicrobial and therapeutic properties. Also, the following compounds were only present in the leaves of both species: α-terpinyl acetate, α-gurjunene, α-cadinol, β-cubebene, β-caryophyllene and sclareol. Androstan-17-one-3-ethyl-3-hydroxy was present in the bark only.