Comparative Metabolic Study of Agarwood From China and Southeast Asia Based on <scp>GC</scp> – <scp>MS</scp> , Chemometrics and Bio‐Activity

ABSTRACT Agarwood is a precious aromatic material and is often used in the perfumery industry for its unique scent. Due to the high price and less resources of Chinese agarwood, Southeast Asian varieties are widely circulated. To better understand the differences, 15 batches of agarwood were collected from China and Southeast Asia. The volatile components of agarwood from different habitats were identified by GC–MS and analysed by various chemometrics methods. Nine components were identified as potential markers for geographical discrimination, with significant differences in their relative abundances. These markers include lupeol, costol, (2aS,3aR,5aS,9bR)‐2a,5a,9‐Trimethyl‐2a,4,5,5a,6,7,8,9b‐octahydro‐2H‐naphtho[1,2‐b]oxireno[2,3‐c]furan, 6‐benzyloxy‐3,4‐dihydro‐4,4‐dimethyl‐coumarin, guaiol, 6,7‐dimethoxy‐2‐phenethyl‐4H‐chromen‐4‐one, 6‐methoxy‐2‐phenethyl‐4H‐chromen‐4‐one, longifolenaldehyde, β ‐cyclocostunolide. Bioactivity assessments revealed that the Chinese agarwood extracts exhibited more potent α‐glucosidase inhibitory and antioxidant activities. This enhanced efficacy correlated with a higher relative content of the identified bioactive compounds. Our study delineates the chemical and bioactivity profiles of agarwood, providing a theoretical basis for origin authentication and supporting the further development of Chinese agarwood for potential hypoglycemic and antioxidant applications.