Correlation Analysis of Compounds in Essential Oil of Amomum tsaoko Seed and Fruit Morphological Characteristics, Geographical Conditions, Locality of Growth

Abstract

Amomum tsaoko is a perennial herb belonging to Zingiberaceae. Its dried ripe fruit is an important food additive, spice and materia medicai in Southeast Asia. For hundreds of years of cultivation, morphological variations have existed. The essential oil is one of the major active products of the A. tsaoko fruit and seed. In this study, we collected 12 populations in Yunnan province, and the correlation analysis of compounds was focused on the essential oil of A. tsaoko seed and its fruit morphological characteristics, geographical conditions, and locality of growth. The results showed that the difference in morphological characteristics between populations is greater than the difference within the population. High altitude areas are beneficial for biomass accumulation. Another interesting finding is that selecting specific functional or odor type materials could reference the morphologies of A. tsaoko fruit and seed. Furthermore, the qualitative and quantitative analysis of compounds in essential oil could be used to distinguish the producing area of the A. tsaoko fruit. These results are crucial in realizing the determination of botanical origin and evaluating the quality of A. tsaoko fruit. Meanwhile, it makes clear that various other studies on this plant deserve more attention.