Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with pseudo-Sadtler retention indices, for the identification of components in the essential oil of Curcuma longa L.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was applied to the cyclohexane extract of Curcuma longa L. The chromatographic conditions generated retention indices very close i.e., greater than 99.9%, to those reported for structures in the Sadtler Standard Gas Chromatography Retention Index Library. In addition to the extensively reported sesquiterpene ketones, this essential oil extract contained a series of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Wiley mass spectra library matching for the free fatty acids, their trimethylsilyl esters and methyl esters narrowed their identity down to a few candidates. Combining this information with the retention indices of the fatty acid methyl esters in the Sadtler library allowed the identification of some of the double bond positions.