Other major chemical classes included esters, ketones, organosulfurs, alkanes, cycloalkanes, steroids, aromatic hydrocarbons, and alkanols. Terpenes constituted the highest composition in the essential oils of all the four test plants. The essential oils of Mexican marigold constituted the highest composition of the identified chemical classes at 71.2%, followed by ginger at 55.8%, while both tick berry and garlic oils constituted 53.8% of the total classes identified. Their percentage composition was also found to vary between the test plants. The study identified a total of 52 different chemical classes from the essential oils of the four different plants that were analysed. The essential oils were extracted by steam distillation and analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. This study provides a detailed analysis of the chemical composition of essential oils of ginger, garlic, tick berry, and Mexican marigold in Kenya. However, there is scanty information on the chemical composition of many plants. Currently, essential oils are receiving great attention in research for their phytochemical and antimicrobial activities. The oils are made up of a mixture of compounds that give a characteristic flavour and odour. Essential oils are secondary metabolites that plants produce for protection from pests and predators, attraction of pollinators, and seed dispersal.
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