CHEMICAL PROFILES OF ESSENTIAL OILS AND FATTY ACIDS FROM Erythrina velutina

Chemical analysis involving gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry of the essential oils of red and orange flowers from E. velutina revealed a predominance of phenylpropanoids in both samples. However, qualitative and quantitative differences were found in the compositions. (E)-Asarone (16.22 ± 0.23%) and (E)-caryophyllene (12.22 ± 0.11%) were identified as the major constituents of the essential oil from the red flowers, whereas (E)-caryophyllene (41.72 ± 1.65%) and eugenol (20.99 ± 0.21%) were identified as the major constituents of the oil from the orange flowers. Seventeen fatty acids were characterized in the red and black seeds. The fatty acid composition in the two chromatic variations had a high degree of similarity. Oleic acid (41.56 ± 1.33% and 46.12 ± 1.90% in the red and black seeds, respectively), palmitic acid (15.39 ± 0.16% and 12.33 ± 0.41%) and behenic acid (9.95 ± 0.14% and 12.10 ± 0.42%) were identified as the main fatty acids. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) enabled identifying significant differences in the chemical profile of the essential oils from the red flower and orange flower varieties of E. velutina. In contrast, PCA and HCA analysis revealed no significant differences in the fatty acid profile of the red and black seeds.

本研究采用气相色谱-质谱联用法（gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry）对E. velutina红色花与橙色花的精油开展化学分析，结果显示两类样品的精油均以苯丙烷类化合物（phenylpropanoids）为主要成分，但二者的精油组成在定性与定量层面均存在差异。其中，红色花精油的主要成分为(E)-细辛醚（(E)-Asarone，16.22 ± 0.23%）与(E)-石竹烯（(E)-caryophyllene，12.22 ± 0.11%）；橙色花精油的主要成分则为(E)-石竹烯（(E)-caryophyllene，41.72 ± 1.65%）与丁香酚（eugenol，20.99 ± 0.21%）。

研究同时对红色种子与黑色种子中的脂肪酸进行了定性表征，共鉴定出17种脂肪酸。两种色泽类型的种子其脂肪酸组成具有高度相似性，主要脂肪酸包括油酸（Oleic acid）、棕榈酸（palmitic acid）与山嵛酸（behenic acid）：红色种子与黑色种子中的油酸占比分别为41.56 ± 1.33%与46.12 ± 1.90%，棕榈酸占比分别为15.39 ± 0.16%与12.33 ± 0.41%，山嵛酸占比分别为9.95 ± 0.14%与12.10 ± 0.42%。

主成分分析（Principal component analysis, PCA）与层次聚类分析（hierarchical cluster analysis, HCA）结果表明，E. velutina红色花与橙色花品种的精油化学特征存在显著差异；与之相反，PCA与HCA分析未发现红色与黑色种子的脂肪酸谱存在显著差异。