Variability in yield and composition of oil from Indian Sandalwood (Santalum album L.) trees grown in homogeneous conditions

The study evaluated the variability in yield and composition of oil from the heartwood of Indian Sandalwood (Santalum album) trees grown in homogeneous condition. Trees grown at Institute of Wood Science and Technology campus, Bengaluru were considered in this study. Wood samples were collected from trees having different girth size (47.1, 53.4, 61.2, 69.1, 72.2, 74, 75.4, 81.6 and 82.4 cm). About 500 g of heartwood powder per sample was extracted by hydro-distillation method using Clevenger's apparatus. Oil yield extracted from these samples varied from 1.6–3.6 % of heartwood. Chemical profiling of the oil samples was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS-QP-2010 Ultra Auto Sampler). A chemically diversified alkanes, sesquiterpenoids, sesquiterpene, fatty acids, and alcohols, were detected. The major constituents were α-santalol (41.7–53.67 %), β-santalol (18.2–27.9 %), epi-β-santalol (2.7– 7.18 %), β-santalene (1.39–5.30 %), α-santalene (0.4–4.87 %), and α-bergamotol (3.1–9.3 %). In this study, it was concluded that the oil yield and its composition varies among the trees with different girth. But no particular trends were observed between the girth size and oil yield.