Effect of Distillation Time on Physicochemical Characteristics and Compound Identification of Nutmeg Oil Using GC–MS

Abstract

Introduction: Nutmeg oil (Myristica fragrans Houtt.) is a high-value essential oil containing various bioactive compounds, including myristicin, α-pinene, limonene, and γ-terpinene, which are widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. The quality and quantity of nutmeg oil are strongly influenced by the distillation process, particularly the distillation duration, which determines the extraction efficiency of volatile and semi-volatile compounds. Materials and Methods: Distillation was carried out for 6, 12, and 24 hours. The obtained oils were characterized based on distillation rate, yield, color, odor, specific gravity, ethanol solubility, and evaporation residue according to the Indonesian National Standard (SNI 06-2388-2006). Results: GC–MS analysis identified 36 compounds in the nutmeg oil samples. The major constituents included α-pinene, α-terpinene, limonene, γ-terpinene, and myristicin. The highest oil yield (1.91%), specific gravity (0.9100), and evaporation residue (1.9837%) were obtained at 24 hours of distillation. Meanwhile, myristicin content increased significantly with longer distillation time, reaching 38.74% at 24 hours. Statistical analysis revealed that distillation time significantly affected distillation rate, yield, and evaporation residue (p < 0.001). Significant differences were also observed in specific gravity and ethanol solubility, as determined by the Kruskal–Wallis test (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Overall, the 12-hour distillation period was considered the optimum condition because it provided the most balanced composition between aromatic volatile compounds and bioactive constituents while maintaining acceptable physicochemical quality.