Cipriol

Cyperus scariosus is a perennial herbaceous plant from Australia and New Guinea. The species was first formally described by the botanist Robert Brown in 1810. It is very similar to Cyperus pertenuis, and Georg Kükenthal thought it was a variety of Cyperus corymbosus.

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Distribution

It occurs in Papua New Guinea and Australia. In Australia it occurs in northern, eastern and central Queensland, northern Northern Territory and Western Australia. It is not known from the Indian subcontinent. In parts of India, the name is commonly misapplied to Cyperus pertenuis.

Chemistry

The major compounds in the essential oil of nagarmotha rhizomes are cyperene, longifolin, caryophyllene oxide and longiverbenone. The amount of cyperene varied from 5.77% to 24.17% across 13 locations in India. Longifolin ranged from 5.95% to 20.43%, caryophyllene oxide from 2.42% to 10.38%, and longiverbenone from 3.96% to 12.71%.

Rotundone has the highest odor-activity value of the compounds measured in cypriol oil and, together with the other ketones, contributes to its woody-amber character. A new ketone, cyperen-8-one, has a significant woody, ambery odor. A novel lactone, cyperolactone, and an alcohol were also identified in the oil. A total of 21 nitrogenous components have been reported, of which epi-guaipyridine, cananodine and guaia-9,11-dienpyridine were the most abundant.

Composition in more detail

The 13 Indian oils differed considerably in chemical composition. Among the nitrogen-containing molecules, epi-guaipyridine was found at 32 mg/kg, cananodine at 10 mg/kg and guaia-9,11-dienpyridine at 9 mg/kg.

Rotundone is a bicyclic sesquiterpene with the formula C₁₅H₂₂O and a molecular weight of 218.33.

Taxonomy

The species belongs to the family Cyperaceae in the order Poales, and its name is accepted.