Article: Turning Perfume Plant into Perfume Manufacturing

[Guest guest]

Interesting article

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

 

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

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http://www.pacificislands.cc/pm42002/pmdefault.php?urlarticleid=0031

 

Turning Perfume Plant into Perfume Manufacturing

That's what French Polynesia is hoping

 

By Robert Keith-Reid

 

 

Dr Isabelle Vahirua-Lechat is at the vanguard of French Polynesia's

hopes for diversifying its narrow tourism, pearl farm and aid based

economy. What she explores in the Natural Products Laboratory at the

Malarde Institute in Papeete offers hope for the growth of perfume

manufacturing and some other purposes.

 

The French Polynesian researcher took her doctorate in organic chemistry

with a thesis that dealt with the compounds of the essential oils

extractable from French Polynesia's medicinal and aromatic plants.

French Polynesians have a century-old tradition of using perfuming

plants for medicinal preparations and body oils.

 

Some of the endemic plants used by them are on the verge of extinction

and have never been analysed.

 

" It appears urgent to analyse them and support their protection, "

Vahirua-Lechat says. Her laboratory has so far studied the chemical

composition of about 200 essential oils extracted from different parts

of 20 aromatic plants used by traditional healers, the tahu'a. While all

parts of a plant may contain oil, what one part yields can be quite

different from another. Plants usually have an essential oil content of

less than one percent. Such heavy levels as 15 percent for the floral

bud of the clove tree are an exception. Some of the laboratory¹s

findings:

 

* The ripe fruit of Pandanus, a tree three to 10 metres high,

yields a sweet smell acetate used widely by perfume manufacturers. It

blends well with essences of orange, lavender, rose, Lily of the Valley,

ylang ylang and with leather and oriental perfumes.

 

*

 

* Pandanus Ethyl cinnamate is another plant used for making

perfumes since it has quite a good clinging power. It is also used as an

agent for imitating the aromas of cherries, cinnamon, grapes, plums,

raspberries and some other fruits.

 

*

 

* Marquesan sandalwood oil appears to be superior to Indian

sandalwood for the purpose of perfumes, being in the terminology of the

perfume business not as greasy and less buttery. A further assessment by

a German world leader in essential oils distributions gave it a positive

rating.

 

*

 

* Lantana camara, a shrub introduced to French Polynesia from

South America, yielded 13 oils from its leaves. While its essences could

be economically turned into a perfume industry or used for aromatherapy,

its low yields of essence are a drawback.

 

*

 

* Ageratum Conyzoides, or Maire vaihi (English blue ageratum) has

medicinal uses in Africa, the Indian Ocean, Hawaii and French Polynesia,

and produces substances with potential for the control of insects by

rendering them sterile.

 

*

 

* Plectranthus Amboinicus, called Niaouri in French Polynesia,

originated from the Mollucas Islands in Indonesia, where it is used as a

condiment and for medicinal treatments. Nine essences were extracted

from local plants. Some are of pharmacological interest, but one

substance has the drawback of being toxic.

 

*

 

* Ocimum Gratissimu, or Miri taratoni, is a herb, which grows up

to three metres in badly kept coconut groves. It has traditional uses

for the treatment of respiratory infections, diarrhoea, headaches,

conjunctivitis, pneumonia, colds and skin disease.

 

 

Freshly cut flowers are used in infusion for people suffering from

urinary retention. The laboratory extracted eight oils having a high

content of Eugene with a strong slightly spicy smell. This could be used

for a variety of perfume bases, which could be developed profitably for

the local manufacture of perfume.

 

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[Guest guest]

Our list Mum forwarded this article on 14 July 2004 5:40:

 

 

 

http://www.pacificislands.cc/pm42002/pmdefault.php?urlarticleid=0031

 

 

 

and the article mentions

 

 

 

* Lantana camara, a shrub introduced to French

Polynesia from

South America, yielded 13 oils from its leaves. While its essences could

be economically turned into a perfume industry or used for aromatherapy,

its low yields of essence are a drawback.

 

 

 

We here in Aus know lantana very well as an immigrant! It's poisonous to

stock, grows like mad, and is

 

almost impossible to eradicate. Although there are companies that sell the

EO, I personally wouldn't touch it. An internet search will give you more

information than you need on lantana! The only animals I know that use the

plant are wallabies - they crawl in under it and rest there.

 

 

 

On a positive side, it's good that research is looking at plants that can be

used as an alternative for agriculturalists.

 

Dennis Archer

http://www.toona.com.au