Volatile Analysis of Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) by TCT-GC/MS

摘要

Volatiles of maca in vitro could be captured by way of dynamic head-space adsorption. Both maca root and leaf volatile compounds were different from essential oil or other extracts. In the root volatiles, isothiocyanates were in the highest content (27.26%), especially 4-ethylphenyl isothiocyanate over 20%. Together with chloro-compounds (near 20%) and tetrahydro-3-methylfuran (14%), the three types of chemicals were probably important factors of maca's special odor like other vegetables of Brassicaceae. And in the leaf volatiles, the highest contents (about 30%) were found in acid and anhydride. Compared to maca essential oil, ester (<5%) and terpene (<1%) in the volatiles both from root and leaf were not the same compounds.