The essential oil (EO) from leaf, mace, kernel, and seed of Myristica fragrans Houtt. growing in the Western Ghats, India was investigated for the first time. The EO was extracted by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC-MS. The results revealed that yields of EO were 3.16%, 8.10%, 6.24%, and 5.21% for leaf, mace, kernel, and seed, respectively. The main fractions were found to be monoterpenes (53.77%-94.82%), phenylpropenes (1.96%-28.61%), and sesquiterpenes (1.21%-16.76%) and for all the four parts. The main constituents of leaf were sabinene (17.17%), eugenol (16.60%), myristicin (9.12%), caryophyllene (8.82%), and β-myrcene (4.74%). Sabinene (38.37%), α-pinene (8.16%), β-pinene (7.61%), D-limonene (7.07%), and 3-carene (5.05%) were predominant constituents of mace. The major constituents of kernel and seed were sabinene, α-pinene, β-pinene, and D-limonene. The major constituents of leaf, mace, kernel and seed of nutmeg can be utilised in the food, perfumery, aroma and pharmaceutical industries.
Keywords: Nutmeg; caryophyllene; essential oil; eugenol; myristicin; sabinene; α-pinene.