Four species of the genus Hedychium can be found in Brazil. Hedychium coronarium is a species endemic to India and Brazil. In this paper, we collected six specimens of H. coronarium for evaluation of their volatile chemical profiles. For this, the essential oils of these specimens were extracted using hydrodistillation from plant samples collected in the state of Pará, Brazil, belonging to the Amazon region in the north of the country. Substance compounds were identified with GC/MS. The most abundant constituent identified in the rhizome and root oils was 1,8-cineole (rhizome: 35.0-66.1%; root: 19.6-20.8%). Leaf blade oil was rich in β-pinene (31.6%) and (E)-caryophyllene (31.6%). The results from this paper allow for greater knowledge about the volatile chemical profile of H. coronarium specimens, in addition to disseminating knowledge about the volatile compounds present in plant species in the Amazon region.
Keywords: Hedychium coronarium; Zingiberaceae; biological activities; essential oil.