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© 2020 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group 
 

Agriculture and Food Sciences Research 
Vol. 7, No. 1, 65-68, 2020 

ISSN(E) 2411-6653/ ISSN(P) 2518-0193 
DOI: 10.20448/journal.512.2020.71.65.68 

© 2020 by the authors; licensee Asian Online Journal Publishing Group 

    
 

 
Physical Characteristics of the Essential Oil Extracted from Released and Improved 
Lemongrass Varieties, Palmarosa and Citronella Grass 

 
Beriso Mieso1 

Abdela Befa2 

 

 
( Corresponding Author) 

 
1Analtytical Chemistry Ethiopia Institute of Agricultural Research, Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Center 
Shashamene, Ethiopia.   

 
2Food Science and Technology, Ethiopia Institute of Agricultural Research, Wondo Genet Agricultural Research 
Center Shashamene, Ethiopia. 

 
Abstract 

The grass species lemongrass, palmarosa, and citronella/nardus grass are one of the aromatic and 
medicinal plants which know days Wondo genet Agriculture center is working on their essential 
oil yield increment and releasing different varieties. The essential oils were extracted using hydro 
distillation methods. This study investigated the analysis of physical characteristics of lemongrass 
varieties, palmarosa, and citronella grass essential oils. From the released three lemongrass 
varieties WG-Lomisar-Java has the highest oil content (1.25 %± 0.02) and the other two varieties 
namely Lomisar-I and WG-lomisar-UA (upper awash) have the same oil content (1.2%± 0.02). 
WG-lomisar-UA (upper awash) has the largest relative density/specific gravity (0.9015± 0.0002) 
and WG-Lomisar-Java has the smallest value (0.9007± 0.0002). In the case of the refractive index, 
Lomisar-I has a large value (1.4890± 0.0002) and WG-Lomisar-Java has a small value (1.4870± 
0.0002). The oil content of palmarosa was 1.2%± 0.03, the specific gravity was 0.8815± 0.0002 
and the refractive index was 1.4720± 0.0002, whereas Citronella grass contains 1.3%± 0.01 oil 
content, 0.9108± 0.0002 specific gravity, and 1.4800± 0.0002 refractive indexes. 

 
Keywords: Citronella grass, Essential oil, Lemongrass, Palmarosa, Physicochemical. 

 
Citation | Beriso Mieso; Abdela Befa (2020). Physical 
Characteristics of the Essential Oil Extracted from Released and 
Improved Lemongrass Varieties, Palmarosa and Citronella Grass. 
Agriculture and Food Sciences Research, 7(1): 65-68. 
History:  
Received: 30 January 2020 
Revised: 3 March 2020 
Accepted: 8 April 2020 
Published: 13 May 2020 
Licensed: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons 

Attribution 3.0 License  
Publisher:  Asian Online Journal Publishing Group 
 

Acknowledgement: Authors are greatly acknowledged Wondo Genet 
Agricultural Research Center for critically supporting on the released fund 
when we work in this research and also the authors would like to thanks all 
wondo genet researcher those stand beside as during this work and writing of 
manuscript from start to end. 
Funding: The Authors were gratefully acknowledged Ethiopia Institute of 
Agricultural Research for financial support.  
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of 
interests. 
Transparency: The authors confirm that the manuscript is an honest, 
accurate, and transparent account of the study was reported; that no vital 
features of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the 
study as planned have been explained. 
Ethical: This study follows all ethical practices during writing.   

 

 

Contents 
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 66 
2. Materials and Methods ................................................................................................................................................................... 66 
3. Results and Discussion ................................................................................................................................................................... 67 
4. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 67 
References .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 67 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
  
 

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Contribution of this paper to the literature 
This study investigated the analysis of physical characteristics of lemongrass varieties, 
palmarosa, and citronella grass essential oils. 

 
1. Introduction 

Essential oils are concentrated essences extracted from different parts of plants, containing hundreds of 
substances, but typically with the prevalence of one, two or three of them that characterize the fragrance [1]. 
Essential oils are highly concentrated secondary metabolites of diverse functions in the plant system. Ancient 
Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, the Middle, and the Far East used regularly essential oils as perfumes, food flavors, 
deodorants, pharmaceuticals, and embalming antiseptics [2]. In Spain and France from the early 1300s, distillation 
was developed to produce more concentrated essences of aromatic grasses and herbs like mints, citronella, 
lemongrass, lavender and sage [3]. In Ethiopia Wondo Genet agricultural research center is among research 
centers found in the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research Center (EIAR) which coordinates research 
activities on lemongrass, palmarosa, and citronella grass. 

Lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus, is a perennial medicinal plant belonging to family Geramineae, and it is 
distributed worldwide especially in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, Asia, and America [4]. The chemical 
composition of lemongrass essential oil depends on many factors such as genetic diversity, temperature, light 
intensity, maturity stage, and agricultural practice and  main  effective compounds of lemongrass are citral and 
essential oil [5-10].  

Cymbopogon martini (Roxb.) Wats. var. motia, known as palmarosa, is a perennial herb, widely distributed in 
tropical and subtropical regions [11]. It contains essential oil, whose main components are geraniol and geranyl 
acetate [12]. The essential oil from Cymbopogon martini is widely used as a flavoring for food, beverages, and 
snuff products, as a valuable component for perfumes, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products, and against the action 
of various bacteria, fungi and microorganisms [11].  

Cymbopogon nardus, common name citronella grass, is a perennial aromatic plant from the Poaceae grass 
family, originating in tropical Asia and based oil production, citronella grass is also used for culinary purposes, as a 

fragrance, aroma and flavor flavoring [12, 13].  
This study aims to evaluate the physical properties of the essential oil extracted from released and improved 

grass species namely lemongrass varieties, palmarosa, and citronella grass. 

 
2. Materials and Methods 
2.1. Sample Collection and Preparation 

The Experiment was carried out in the Wondo Genet Natural Product Laboratory.The samples of three 
released lemongrass varieties namely Lomisar-I, WG lomisar-java and WG lomisar-upper awash (UA), Palmarosa 
and Citronella grass at optimum harvesting age was collected from Wondo genet Agricultural Research Center 
experimental field. The sampling site was located at an altitude of 1800 m a.s.l., and latitude and longitude of N 39° 
1' 44" E 8° 25' 59". The collected samples were weighed and transported to Wondo Genet Natural Product 
Laboratory for extraction.  
 

2.2. Essential Oil Extraction 
The essential oil was extracted from fresh leaves using the Clevenger type apparatus for 3 hours by hydro-

distillation methods and dried with anhydrous Na2SO4 according to Tepe, et al. [13]. 
 

2.3. Physical Quality parameter of essential oil 
2.3.1. Essential Oil Content 

From the essential oil extracted essential oil contents of grass species samples were calculated based on the 
formula described below 

Oil content (w/w (%) =  
mass of extracted oil (g)

mass of extracted sample (g)
  × 100 

 

2.3.2. The Specific Gravity of the Essential Oil 
The specific gravity was determined according to the method described by Chophi, et al. [14]. The 5ml of 

distilled water was added to the cleaned pycnometer. The distilled water was weighed (Mwater) (make sure that 
there is no bubble or air inside the pycnometer while weighing). The distilled water was removed and the 
pycnometer was dried. Then the same volume of oil was added into the pycnometer and was weighed (Moil). 
Finally, specific gravity or relative density was calculated using the following formula 

Specific gravity/relative density = 
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓𝑜𝑖𝑙

𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
 X 100 

 

2.3.3. Refractive Index Determination 
The refractive indexes of the essential oils were measured by Refractometer (Reichert, AR200) according to the 

method described by Chophi, et al. [14]; Pirbalouti, et al. [15]. The prism of the Digital spectrophotometer was 
cleaned and the read button was pressed first to make sure that it is cleaned well. The sample was applied to the 
prism of a Digital spectrophotometer using a micropipette. Finally, the result of the refractive index was read and 
recorded. The triplicate analysis was taken place and the result was the average of triplicate value in all cases.  
 

2.4. Data Analysis 
Significance differences in physical properties of the essential oil extracted from released and improved grass 

species were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the Microsoft Excel software. 
 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennial
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poaceae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia


Agriculture and Food Sciences Research, 2020, 7(1): 65-68 

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3. Results and Discussion 
The physical quality parameter of aromatic plants in this study like essential oil content, relative density or 

specific gravity, refractive index, appearance, color, and odor were analyzed and the results were shown in the 
following tables Table 1 and Table 2.  
 

Table-1. Physicochemical parameters of lemongrass varieties (n=3). 

Variety type 
EOC% 
(w/w) 

Specific 
gravity 

Refractive 
index 

Appearance Color Odor 

Lomisar-I 1.2±0.01 
0.9012± 
0.0002 

1.4890± 
0.0002 

Clear liquid Yellowish 
Sweet smell, 

lemony 

WG-Lomisar-Java 1.25±0.02 
0.9007± 
0.0002 

1.4870± 
0.0002 

Clear liquid Yellowish Sweet smell 

WG-lomisar-UA (upper awash) 1.2± 0.02 
0.9015± 
0.0002 

1.4883± 
0.0002 

Clear liquid Yellowish Sweet smell 

  Note: Where EOC= is Essential oil content. 
 

From Table 1, it was shown that WG-Lomisar-Java has the highest oil content with a value of 1.25 % ± 0.02 
from the three released varieties. The remaining two varieties namely Lomisar-I and WG-lomisar-UA (upper 
awash) have the same oil content (1.2%± 0.02). The value of essential oil content of all lemongrass varieties of this 
research finding was less than the finding of Pirbalouti, et al. [15]. The difference was maybe because of the 
difference in sample location and agroecology between two samples.  

WG-lomisar-UA (upper awash) has the largest relative density/specific gravity (0.9015± 0.0002) followed by 
Lomisar-I (0.9012± 0.0002) and WG-Lomisar-Java (0.9007± 0.0002). The value of the relative density/specific 
gravity of lemongrass varieties in this study was greater than the values expressed in Taweechaisupapong, et al. 
[16]. The reason for the difference in values between two findings was maybe because of the difference in the 
sample location climatic condition and agroecological difference including soil type.     

In the case of the refractive index, Lomisar-I has a large value (1.4890± 0.0002) and WG-Lomisar-Java has a 
small value (1.4870± 0.0002). The values of the refractive index of this research finding were found within the 
range of values observed in Taweechaisupapong, et al. [16]. The appearance of all three varieties was clear liquid 
and their color was yellowish. The odor of Lomisar-I was a sweet smell, lemony and that of the remaining two 
varieties was a sweet smell. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) oil content, specific gravity, and refractive index were 
significantly different from variety to variety because of Fcalculated > Fcritical. 
 

Table-2. Physical parameters of palmarosa and citronella grass (n=3). 

Plant name 
EOC% 
(w/w) 

Specific 
gravity 

Refractive 
index 

Appearance Color Odor 

Palmarosa 1.2± 0.03 
0.8815± 
0.0002 

1.4720± 
0.0002 

Clear liquid Pale Yellow 
Pleasant odor with rose-like 

smell 

Citronella 1.3± 0.01 
0.9108± 
0.0002 

1.4800± 
0.0002 

Clear liquid Pale yellow Sweet smell 

   Note: From Where EOC= is Essential oil content. 
 

Table 2, it was shown that palmarosa has 1.2%± 0.03 oil content, 0.8815± 0.0002 specific gravity and 1.4720± 
0.0002 refractive indexes. The value of essential oil content of this study was less than the value of essential oil 
reported by Rajeswara, et al. [11]. Again, the refractive index and specific gravity of palmarosa oil were less than 
values reported by Taweechaisupapong, et al. [16]. 

Citronella grass contains 1.3%± 0.01 oil content,0.9108± 0.0002 specific gravity, and 1.4800± 0.0002 refractive 
index. The values of the refractive index of this study were within the range of results reported  Baker, et al. [12]; 
Phovisay, et al. [17] and the values of specific gravity were greater than the report of Baker, et al. [12]; Phovisay, 
et al. [17]. The difference maybe because of the difference in the sample location and agroecology. Both of them are 
clear liquid and have a pale-yellow color. The odor of palmarosa was Pleasant odor with the rose-like smell but the 
odor of citronella grass was a sweet smell. 
 

4. Conclusion 
In this study physicochemical quality parameters analysis of three lemongrass varieties, palmarosa and 

citronella grass were analyzed. The parameters were essential oil content, refractive index, specific gravity, 
appearance, color, and odor. The values of these physicochemical quality parameters were significantly different 
from one variety to the other in lemongrass. 
 

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