Comparative study on volatile components of Nardostachys rhizome.

Volatile components in 13 crude drug samples derived from Nardostachys chinensis or Nardostachys grandiflora were studied by solid phase micro extraction (SPME)-GC and SPME-GC-MS. Twenty-three compounds accounting for 81.3 and 70.0% of volatile components in newly collected samples of two species were identified. beta-Maaliene, 9-aristolene, calarene and patchouli alcohol were identified as the major volatile constituents of N. chinensis, whereas aromadendrene, cube-11-ene, epi-alpha-selinene, spirojatamol and valeranone were identified as those of N. grandiflora. Using the peaks of beta-maaliene and 9-aristolene in GC profiles as the marker, two Nardostachys species were clearly distinguished among the samples examined.