DOI: https://doi.org/10.55373/mjchem.v28i1.215

Keywords: Agarwood, smoky, volatile compound, HSGC-MS, agarwood aroma

Abstract

Aquilaria malaccensis, renowned for its distinctive aroma, is highly valued in perfumery production. This study investigates the volatile compounds contributing to the smoky scent of agarwood by applying comparative analyses of three different agarwood forms: woodchip, oil extract, and industrial essential oils using the advanced analytical technique of headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HSGC-MS). The results revealed a complex mixture of sesquiterpenes and aromatic compounds, indicators for evaluating agarwood quality. Woodchip samples exhibited key volatile compounds, such as β-agarofuran (0.66% and 0.24%), agarospirol (0.70% and 2.48%), jinkoh-eremol (6.81%), and 4-phenyl-2-butanone (0.47% and 0.41%). Meanwhile, oil extracts showed the following results: β-agarofuran (35.70%), agarospirol (0.40%), and 4-phenyl-2-butanone (22.70%). The analysis performed on industrial essential oil exhibited the key volatile compounds, such as β-agarofuran (28.34% and 9.42%) and 4-phenyl-2-butanone (3.16% and 3.97%). This research provides a deeper understanding of the chemical composition of agarwood aromatic profile using the HSGC-MS technique, which minimizes the potential degradation of compounds during the extraction process, thereby providing a more accurate representation of the actual aroma profile. The analysis also effectively captured the appropriate heating conditions of non-volatile or semi-volatile compounds, thus providing significant implications for quality control, product development, and the standardization of agarwood-based products in the fragrance industry.