Comparative study of volatile components of Magnoliae Flos, Magnoliae Flos kernels, and Magnoliae Flos bracts / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze the volatile components of Magnoliae Flos, Magnoliae Flos kernels, and Magnoliae Flos bracts and compare the differences of these components in order to provide a theoretical basis for the usage of kernels of Magnolia Flos in classical famous prescriptions. Methods The volatile components were extracted by steam distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The volatile components in different parts of Magnoliae Flos were identified by searching the retention index in the mass spectrometry database. The relative content of volatile components was calculated by peak area normalization method, and the data of GC-MS was further proceeded by principal component analysis (PCA). Results The average volatile components content in Magnoliae Flos, Magnoliae Flos kernels, and Magnoliae Flos bracts was 1.70%, 6.79%, and 0.45%, respectively. The numbers of compounds identified by GC-MS in those three different parts were 87, 82, and 85, respectively. These compounds mainly included terpene olefins and alcohols type chemicals. PCA method was then applied to process the GC-MS data and distinguish different parts and habitats of Magnoliae Flos. Conclusion The volatile components in the kernels of Magnoliae Flos were generally the same as those of Magnoliea Flos, while the content of which was much higher than those of whole flower bud of Magnoliae Flos. The results indicated that it was rational to use the kernels of Magnolia Flos in classical famous prescriptions.