Comparative Chemical Composition of Cajuput Oil Obtained by Hydrodistillation from Different Local Leaf Sources in Buru Regency, Indonesia

Abstract:

Eucalyptus oil is a type of essential oil primarily composed of 1,8-cineole, which influences its quality and commercial significance. Examining how the source of the eucalyptus leaf raw material affects the yield and chemical properties of eucalyptus oil extracted by the hydrodistillation process is the goal of this study. Eight settlements with different soil types and elevations on Buru Island in Maluku Province provided eucalyptus leaves for collection. All samples were extracted using the hydrodistillation method under consistent operating conditions. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify the oil's chemical composition, and total yield and recovery were used to analyze oil yield. Based on observations of the extracted oil's visual properties, the 1,8-cineole content was determined to be the primary eucalyptus oil quality measure. The study's findings demonstrate that, while using the same extraction technique, local leaf sources differ in terms of eucalyptus oil output and quality. 1,8-cineole was the predominant constituent in the entire oil sample, with changes in content between locations suggesting possible variances in quality. A few samples had 1,8-cineole level that was within or near the Indonesian National Standard's (SNI) acceptable quality range. This discovery directly affects conventional and small-scale eucalyptus oil production and demonstrates that the source of raw materials has a significant role in determining the quality of eucalyptus oil.

• Periodical: Engineering Headway (Volume 38)
• Pages: 59-71
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-Hc2Q1K
• Online since: June 2026
• Authors: Mentari Rasyid*, Sudjito Sudjito, Nurkholis Hamidy, Widya Wijayanti
• Keywords: 1,8 – Cineole, Chemical Makeup, Eucalyptus Oil, Hydrdistillation, Raw Material Source

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