Comparative analysis of essential oils from eight herbal medicines with pungent flavor and cool nature by GC–MS and chemometric resolution methods

Systematic comparative research was conducted on essential oils from eight traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) of pungent flavor and cool nature because the essential oils are the main active ingredients of herbs of this kind. The work was based on their component analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), on their retention indices, as well as on chemometric resolution methods. A total of 144 compounds were tentatively identified, accounting for 69.0% to 91.8% of the total essential oils. It is worth noting that there are 67 compounds in at least three of these eight essential oils. Moreover, many biologically active compounds, such as hexanal, α‐pinene, camphene, β‐pinene, p‐cymene, limonene, eucalyptol, (Z)‐ocimene, γ‐terpinene, camphor, p‐menthone, 4‐terpineol, α‐terpineol, carvone, eugenol, caryophyllene, β‐farnesene, α‐curcumene, β‐selinene, δ‐cadinene, caryophyllene oxide, cedrol, n‐hexadecanoic acid, benzaldehyde, benzeneacetaldehyde, phthalic acid diisobutyl ester, linoleic acid, tetradecanoic acid, (Z,Z,Z)‐9,12,15‐octadecatrienoic acid, eucalyptol, pentadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, linoleic acid methyl ester, exist in at least four of the eight essential oils. These results might help us to understand why the eight herbs are all of pungent flavor and cool nature according to the theory of TCM, and may provide a useful chemical basis for future research on herbs of this kind.