In recent years, natural extracts obtained by various extraction methods and have
been widely used as additives in health food and cosmetics, and even as drug sources
for many diseases in eastern and western countries. In addition to conventional hydrodistillation
and solvent extraction methods, there is a green and eco-friendlier method, namely
as solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME), can be used for the extraction of aroma
plants [1], [2]. The principle of SFME is that microwave can resonate with in-situ water of plant causing tissues to swell and burst without adding any water or solvent
and release the essential oil [3]. In this study, the leaves and barks of different Cinnamomum species were extracted by SFME to obtain the essential oils (CBEOs), and the optimal
extraction methods were also discussed. The results showed that the maximum yield
of CBEO was 0.75 % at irradiation power 600 W and the extraction time of 30 min. The
main volatile compounds of CBEO were analyzed and identified by the electronic nose
and compared with authentic standard compounds. The major compounds of CBEO were limonene
(16-20 %), α-pinene (11-15 %), myrcene (9-10 %) and 1,8-cineole (7-9 %), respectively.
Meanwhile, principal component analysis (PCA) combined with E-nose fingerprint could
clearly discriminate samples from different Cinnamomum species.
