Extraction and Qualitative Analysis of Floral Volatiles of Alstonia scholaris

Abstract

The strong fragrance of the flowers of Alstonia scholaris indicates the presence of volatile compounds.
The pharmacological properties of the flowers of A. scholaris have been explored to a lesser extent
than those of the bark and leaves. In the present study, the floral volatiles were extracted by steam
distillation, and the major components were identified using GC–MS analysis. The cooling system in
the distillation set-up was modified to significantly reduce the wastage of water. The distillate
contained terpenes, such as eucalyptol (1,8-cineole) and linalool, which have well established
medicinal properties. The present study qualitatively identified those volatiles that can be extracted
from the flowers by through steam distillation, without the use of an organic solvent. The study
explores the potential of the flowers of A. scholaris as a source of fragrant compounds with
biologically activity.