Abstract: Thirty-three, fifty-four, thirty-seven and twenty-nine volatile oil components from Fructus Amomi Rotundus, Fructus Galangae, Semen Alpiniae Katsumadai and Semen Myristicae, respectively, were identified and their relative contents were determined by gas chromatographymass spectrometry(GC-MS). Total ion current chromatograms of them were divided into 4 fingerprint sections on the basis of peak retention time, and their volatile oil components were compared with each other. The results showed that the volatile oil components from Fructus Amomi Rotundus were distinctly different from those of Fructus Galangae, Semen Alpiniae Katsumadai or Semen Myristicae. Moreover, the major active ingredient of Fructus Amomi Rotundus was 1,8-cineole and its relative content was more than that of Fructus Galangae or Semen Alpiniae Katsumadai but it was not detected in the Semen Myristicae. Therefore, Fructus Amomi Rotundus couldn′t be substituted with Fructus Galangae, Semen Alpiniae Katsumadai or Semen Myristicae. This study provides a new approach for the comparison and the quality assessment of Fructus Amomi Rotundus, Fructus Galangae, Semen Alpiniae Katsumadai and Semen Myristicae.

Key words: Fructus Amomi Rotundus, Fructus Galangae, Semen Alpiniae Katsumadai, Semen Myristicae, volatile oil component, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry