Variation in the Chemical Profiles of Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.) Essential Oils from Banda, Titawaai, and Seith

Daniella Engel (Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Pattimura, Ambon, Indonesia)
Imanuel Kapelle (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Pattimura, Ambon, Indonesia)
Dwi Anggara Putri Usman (Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Pattimura, Ambon, Indonesia)
Syefira Salsabila (Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Pattimura, Ambon, Indonesia)
Nini Renur (Department of Fishery Product Technology, Politeknik Perikanan Negeri Tual, Southeast Maluku, Indonesia)

Eksakta : Berkala Ilmiah Bidang MIPA
Vol. 27 No. 05 (2026): Eksakta : Berkala Ilmiah Bidang MIPA (E-ISSN : 2549-7464) In Progress

Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.) is one of the most important spice commodities in the Maluku Islands and a valuable source of essential oil containing economically important bioactive constituents. This study aimed to compare the chemical profiles of nutmeg seed essential oils obtained from Banda, Titawaai, and Seith in Central Maluku Regency, Indonesia. Fresh nutmeg seeds were sun-dried for 24 h before essential oils were extracted by steam distillation. The extracted oils were dehydrated using anhydrous sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) and subsequently characterized by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil yield ranged from 0.24% to 0.66%, with the highest yield obtained from Titawaai (0.66%), followed by Banda (0.32%) and Seith (0.24%). GC-MS analysis identified sabinene as the predominant constituent in all samples, with relative contents of 24.69%, 29.34% and 33.69% in Banda, Titawaai, and Seith, respectively. Other major constituents included α-pinene and β-pinene, while myristicin exhibited relative contents of 10.29% in Banda, 6.43% in Titawaai, and 5.41% in Seith. Variations in the chemical profiles among sampling locations indicate that geographical and environmental factors influence the characteristics of nutmeg essential oil. These findings provide baseline information supporting quality standardization and industrial utilization of nutmeg essential oil.