Karakterisasi Aroma Minyak Nilam Aceh (Pogostemon cablin Benth.)

Abstract

Patchouli is a fragrant shrub that is rooted fibers, smooth leaves are like velvet when touched by hand, and somewhat rounded oval like the heart, and the color is rather pale. Another characteristics of patchouli when it touched out, the leaves will be wet and give aroma of patchouli. Patchouli oil is essential oil obtained from patchouli leaves (Pogostemon cablin Benth.) by distillation. As an export commodity, patchouli oil has good prospects as needed continuously in the perfume industry, cosmetics, soap, and others. Patchouli oil has high fixative capability which can bind and prevent the evaporation of fragrance perfuming substance so the aroma not quickly disappear or more durable. Sensory test results using Focus Group Discussion (FGD) method generate 10 aroma descriptions of patchouli oil: cherry, camphor, dry, earthy, eugenol, floral, musky, sweet, turpentine, and woody. Analysis using GC-MS to the three patchouli oils generate 108 volatile components with 23 components that have a relative area percentage more than 0.5%. These three varieties of patchouli oil have patchouli alcohol levels more than 30%. Patchouli oil composed of high boiling components with 5 components that have the highest area percentage which are patchouli alcohol (31,5%), α-bulnesene (12,3%), α-guaiene (11,7%), α-patchoulene (5%), and α- selinene (3,9%). Patchouli oil fractionation (Sidikalang varieties) using column chromatography produced 40 volatile components in the chromatogram which is more assertive than patchouli oil chromatogram before fractionation. Thus, patchouli oil fractionation using column chromatography can make the volatile components identification easier to justify.