Chemistry Scientia Bruneiana, Vol. 17, No. 2 2018 18 Phytochemical characterization of essential oils from shoots, mature leaves and branchlets of Litsea elliptica (Lauraceae) collected in Brunei Darussalam Manoharan Karuppiah Pillai 1,2 , Farazimah binti Hj Yakop 1 , Nurzaidah binti Metussin 1 , Malai Haniti binti Sheikh Abd Hamid 1 , Hartini binti Hj Mohd Yasin 1 , Hj Mohamed bin Hj Abdul Majid 1 * and David James Young 1,3,4 * 1 Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong BE 1410, Brunei Darussalam 2 Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, National University of Lesotho, Roma Campus, P. O. Roma 180, Kingdom of Lesotho, Southern Africa 3 School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor D.E, Malaysia 4 College of Engineering, Information Technology and Environment, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia *corresponding author emails: david.young@cdu.edu.au, mohamed.majid@ubd.edu.bn Abstract Essential oils from shoots, mature leaves and branchlets of Litsea elliptica were analyzed for their phytochemical compositions by GC-MS. A total of 12 compounds were identified from all three essential oils of L. elliptica.7-Decen-2-one (44.60%), 9-decen-2-ol (23.65%) and 2,7-octadienyl acetate (13.80%) were the major constituents of the essential oil from the shoots. p-Menthan-8-ol, (18.57%), 7-decen-2-one (10.62%), 9-decen-2-ol (25.09%) and α-terpineol (34.54%) were the major constituents of the essential oil from the mature leaves. Geranyl acetate (58.51%) and α- terpineol (20.95%) were the major constituents of the essential oil from the branchlets. L. elliptica has therapeutic applications in traditional medicine. Essential oils and/or extracts from various parts of this plant are reported to have promising biological and pharmacological activities. Index Terms: Litsea elliptica, Litsea, Lauraceae, essential oils, GC-MS analysis, phytochemical compositions 1. Introduction The species Litsea elliptica belongs to the Lauraceae family of the genus Litsea. L. elliptica is widely distributed in Southeast Asia. 1 This plant has therapeutic applications in traditional medicine. 2-5 In Brunei Darussalam, the leaves of L. elliptica are often mixed in salad and consumed. Essential oils, extracts and/or pure compounds from L. elliptica showed larvicidal, 6 adulticidal, 7 insecticidal, 8 anti-diarrheal, 9 anti- microbial, 10,11 phytopesticidal, 12 antimutagenicity 13 and anti-HIV activities. 14,15 L. elliptica has also been evaluated for its toxic effect on red blood cells of Sprague-Dawley rats 5 and acute and sub-acute oral toxicities in female Sprague-Dawley rats. 16 To date, the phytochemical compositions of the essential oils from L. elliptica have not been reported. The aim of the present study is to determine the phytochemical compositions of essential oils from shoots, mature leaves and branchlets of L. elliptica collected in Brunei Darussalam by GC- MS analysis. The results thus obtained are communicated in this article.