Chemical Constituents of Essential Oil from Different Plant Parts of Chromolaena adenophorum Spreng. from North-Western Himalayas

Essential oil from different plant parts of Chromolaena adenophorum Spreng. growing in North-Western Himalayas was procured by hydro-distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography -mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The oils were rich in variety of compounds known for their specialized properties. The essential oil from Chromolaena aerial parts was rich in 1-phellandrene (11.73%) and torreyol (11.41%), whereas, in stem, the percentage of these two compounds was 9.65 and 9.84, respectively. Phellandrene (8.46%) and anthemol (5.33 %) were the main constituents of essential oil from roots. Bornyl was present in significant amounts both in the aerial parts (7.34%) as well as stem (5.33%). Different constituents of essential oil from Chromolaena adenophorum have been endowed with antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. Phellandrenes, which are in abundance in essential oils, have been used in perfumeries because of their pleasing aromas. Chromolaena adenophorum is one of the obnoxious weed of the North-Western Himalayan region, however, due to the presence of various bioactive compounds in essential oils, it can be exploited as a valuable resource for pharmaceutical industry.