Abstract

The volatile oil of the roots of Vetiveria nigritana (Benth.) Stapf was extracted by hydrodistillation for 36 h to yield 1.35%. The physical and chemical properties were determined according to international standards and were not compatible with published data. Analysis of the oil by gas liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (GLC-MS) technique revealed that the oil was composed of 50 compounds of which 9 compounds were not identified. The main constituents were longifolene D (25.1%), 2-hydroxycyperol (9.7%) and aromadendrene oxide (1) (8.8%). The different and extremely complex composition of vetiver oil from different geographic regions of the world prompted us to add that the Sudanese vetiver oil is also different and do not comply with the "finger print" of the oil in the literature (α- and β- vetivone plus khusimol).

Key words: Vetiveria nigritana, essential oil, composition, gas liquid chromatography (GLC),mass spectrometry (MS).