Seasonal Study Chemical Profiles and Bioactivities of Hedychium coronarium J. Koenig Essential Oils: Nematicidal, Insecticidal, Phytotoxic, Antifungal Potentials, and Molecular Docking Insights

Abstract Hedychium coronarium plant has attracted considerable attention from researchers due to its diverse phytochemical composition and potential therapeutic applications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical profile and biological attributes of H. coronarium essential oils collected during different seasons in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand. The essential oils were extracted from the rhizomes using hydrodistillation with a Clevenger‐type apparatus yielding between 0.07 % to 0.38 % (w/w). The major compounds identified by GC‐MS analysis exhibited seasonal variations and included 1,8‐cineole (26.6–38.5 %), coronarin E (11.9–18.8 %), α‐pinene (5.00–14.9 %), α‐terpineol (4.2–9.3 %), ( E )‐β‐caryophyllene (1.2–9.7 %), and linalool (0.4–2.9 %). To illustrate the variations in oil composition, visualization techniques such as heat map and PCA were employed. The essential oils demonstrated potential biological activity in all tests conducted. The molecular modeling study indicated that the potential mechanism may be associated with acetylcholinesterase. Consequently, this study contributes to the development of novel natural pesticides.