Extraction of Kaffir Lime (Citrus hystrix DC.) essential oil by steam distillation and evaluation of chemical constituents

Citrus hystrix which is commonly known as Kaffir Lime, is a plant with great potential for research and commercialization. C. hystrix essential oil is used as a fragrance to increase appetite in food, or sweet-smelling in cosmetics and antibacterial properties in the health field. Most research have focused on the peels, yet the EO content in C. hystrix leaves is also noteworthy. There are many essential oils extraction methods from conventional to advanced techniques. However, it is necessary to consider the influence of heat during heat transfer to constituents in materials, which easily decompose the volatile compounds contained in the essential oil. Steam distillation method can limit this disadvantage by separating the solvents and materials into two places that are only connected by a steam pipe. In this study, the steam distillation method was employed to extract the EOs from C. hystrix leaves. The chemical components in this EOs was evaluated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. C. hystrix leaves achieved an essential oil yield of 1.24%. Moreover, different compounds in Kaffir Lime EOs obtained from steam distillation method were identified, including β-citronellol, citronellyl acetate, linalool, caryophyllene, pinene, sabinene, and naphthalene. Findings from the present study provide helpful insights to effective essential oil extraction from C. hystrix leaves with high content of valuable phytochemical compounds.