Illicium ekmanii Smith is a rare and endangered plant species endemic to the mountainous areas of Hispaniola. Little is known about the volatile oil composition of this species and it is currently under threat of habitat destruction by mining and agricultural practices. There are 37 known species in the Illicium genus, the most well-known of which is I. verum or star anise which has been used for thousands of years as a traditional medicine and flavor ingredient. The purpose of this study is to identify volatile oil compounds in the leaf essential oil of I. ekmanii Smith and examine how the results compare in relation to other Illicium species, such as I. verum. Samples of separate I. ekmani populations were tested from different mountain ranges on Hispaniola, Cordillera Central (CC) and Cordillera Septentrional (CS). The leaves of each sample were extracted to collect the oils by hydro-distillation before using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for identification of the compounds and flame ionization detection (GC-FID) for relative quantification. CC samples were dominated by the sesquiterpenes: α-copanene, trans-caryophyllene, and bornyl acetate, while CS samples had an abundance of phenylpropenes, including methyleugenol, elemicin, and safrole. I. ekmani samples from CS were the most similar to the results previously reported for I. verum, where an abundance of phenylpropenes was reported. This project represents the first known analysis of the essential oils found in this species, I. ekmanii from two distinct mountain ranges on Hispaniola. The results from this study will add knowledge about I.ekmanii and bring awareness to the conservation efforts underway to protect this rare plant and its habitat in Hispaniola.

Melody Pepsi Holmquist

Appearances