8007-02-1

Herbaceous grasses that grow wild in several tropical and subtrop ical regions. The East Indian variety is grown in eastern India, Cambodia, Singapore, and Ceylon. The West Indian type is grown in Madagascar, the Comoro Islands, Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. The East Indian variety yields an alcohol soluble oil (1:2 in 70% alcohol); West Indian lemongrass is soluble 1:10 in 90% alcohol with haze. The part used is the herbaceous portion. Lemongrass has a strong, pungent, lemon-like odor.
The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of freshly cut (East Indian variety) or partially dried (West Indian variety) grass in approximately 0.2 to 0.3% and 0.31 to 0.37% yields, respec tively.
East Indian Lemongrass Oil: East Indian lemongrass oil is a pale-yellow to brown-yellowish liquid; it has a characteristic, sharp, pungent, lemon-like odor because of the large amount of citral present (80 to 85%).
In addition to citral, the main constituents of the East Indian oil include citronellal, geraniol, nerol, famesol, dipentene, methylhep tenone, and probably limonene.
West Indian Lemongrass Oil: West Indian lemongrass oil is a pale-yellow to brownish liquid with a pronounced citral odor. Its physical-chemical constants are as follows.
Its main constituents include isovaleric aldehyde, furfural, myrcene, dipentene, methylheptenone, aldehyde C10, citronellal, various esters, linalool, geraniol, nerol, and terpenes.
Constituents include: andrographolide; andrographidin A; andro graphidin B; andrographidin C; andrographidin D; andrographidin E; andrographidin F; andrographin; andrographinin; andrographi side; andropanoside; apigenin-4,7-di-o-methyl ether; gamma-bis abolene; caffeic acid; carvacrol; chlorogenic acid; deoxyandro graphiside; dicaffeoyl quinic acid; 5-dihydroxy-7,8-dimethoxy flavone; eugenol; 2-cis-6-trans-famesol; 2-trans-6-trans-farnesol; 5-hydroxy-7,8-dimethoxyflavone; 5-hydroxy-2,3,7,8-tetrameth oxyflavone; myristic acid; oroxyline A; panicolin; paniculide B; and sitosterol-α-1.

Herbaceous grasses that grow wild in several tropical and subtropical regions. The East Indian variety is grown in eastern India, Cambodia, Singapore and Sri Lanka. The West Indian type is grown in Madagascar, the Comoro Islands, Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil, Haiti and Puerto Rico. The part used is the herbaceous portion. The freshly cut and partially dried leaves are used medicinally. Lemongrass has a strong, pungent, lemon-like odor

The oil is obtained by steam distillation of freshly cut (East Indian variety) or partially dried (West Indian variety) grass in approximately 0.2 to 0.3% and 0.31 to 0.37% yields, respectively. East Indian lemongrass oil is a pale-yellow to brown-yellow liquid. It has a characteristic, sharp, pungent, lemon-like odor because of the large amount of citral present (80 to 85%). West Indian lemongrass oil is a pale-yellow to brownish liquid with a pronounced citral odor as well.

West Indian or Guatemala lemongrass oil is obtained from Cymbopogon citratus (DC. ex Nees) Stapf in Central and South America. Guatemala produces ～50 t/yr. It is a pale yellow to orange-yellow liquid with a lemon-like odor, characteristic of citral.
d²⁰₂₀ 0.872–0.900; n²⁰_D 1.483–1.489; α²⁰_D ?6 ° to 0 °; content of carbonyl compounds (calculated as citral): min. 75%; citral content by GC: 31–40% neral and 40–50% geranial; solubility: freshly distilled oil is soluble in 70% ethanol at 20 ℃, but solubility diminishes on storage, and the oil may become insoluble in 90% ethanol.

Found in the grasses of Cymbopogon citratus (Stapf) and Andropogon nardus var. ceriferus

Extractives and their physically modified derivatives. Cymbopogon citratus or Cymbopogon flexuosus, Gramineae.

By steam distillation of the freshly cut and partially dried grasses

The main constituents include isovaleric aldehyde, furfural, myrcene, dipentene, methylheptenone, citronellal, various esters, linalool, geraniol, nerol and terpenes.

The oil from C. citrates mainly contains a mixture of two isomers of citral (65 to 82%), geraniol (56 to 61%) and neral (31%). Other compounds include myrcene (20%), geraniol, diterpenes, alcohols, aldehydes and other minor fragrant components. The citral content from many species varies. East Indian lemongrass is reported to contain no citral, but up to 30% borneol.

Taste characteristics at 0.25%: green, citrus, lemon, floral, linalool, spice and chamomile-like