TERPENOIDS

introduction

volatile oils are also known as essential oils for ethereal oils or terpenoid.volatile oils volatize or
evaporate on being exposed to atmosphere at an ordinary temperature in hand they are called as
ethereal oils.they are also called as essential oils as their ascensus are concentrated constituents
of the plants.

chemically volatile oils belongs to type to terpenoids isoterpinoids and constituents of Essential
oil,the monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes found in extremely high frequency.

generally ,volatile oil is present in the entire plant or almost any part of the plant such as

leaf[ Mentha piperata ],flower [Clove bud], bark [cinnamon],seed [nutmeg ]f,ruits [umbelliferae
fruit] and wood [Sandalwood ]. the volatile oils are present in large modified parenchyma cells
and in specialised well-defined secretory structure such as glandular trichomes [Mentha
species] ,volatile Ducts[vittae in umbelliferae family] ,schizolysigenous oil glands[clove bud]
and schizogenous glands [eucalyptus leaves].

general properties

 essential oils are liquid,lipophile,volatile in nature and characteristic odour.

 solubility: soluble in alcohol Ether and other organic solvent.
 Usually oils are lighter than water and its specific gravity is less than one but some
volatile oils, like clove oil and denser than water and its specific gravity is more than
one.
 volatile oil shows high refractive index and optical rotation. for example synthetic
menthol and camphor are optically inactive or racemic,while natural menthol is liver
rotatory and natural camphor is dextrorotatory.

s.no type Examples

1 alcohol volatile oil peppermint ,cardamom ,coriander ,Sandalwood

,Rose oil ,orange flower oil.

2 Aldehyde volatile oil Cinnamon, lemon pee,l Orange peel ,citronella

oil ,lemon grass and bitter almond.

3 Ester volatile oil Gualtheria oil,lavender ,mustard

4 hydrocarbon volatile oil Turpentine, black pepper.

5 Ketone volatile oil spearmint ,camphor buchu, caraway, musk, civet

oil.
 6 Oxide volatile oil Chenopodium. Eucalyptus.

7 Phenolic ether volatile oil Anise,fennel,nutmeg.

8 Phenol volatile oil Clove,thyme.

preparation of volatile oils:

volatile oils are prepared by steam distillation ,hydrodistillation ,sponge or

ecuelle,enfleurage,extraction with non volatile solvents or by volatile solvents. modern methods
are supercritical fluid extraction.

medicinal and commercial uses

 flavouring agent
 counterirritant [wintergreen oil ]
 carminative,digestive [umbelliferae fruits and cinnamon ]
 antiseptic [eucalyptus ]
 anthelmintic[ chenopodium ]

chemical test for volatile oils

1. to the thin section of the drug, add alcoholic solution of Sudan III .red colour obtained by
globules indicates the presence of volatile oil

2.to the thin section of the drug ,add drop of tincture alkane .red colour indicates the presence of
volatile oil .

storage conditions of volatile oils

volatile oil should be preserved properly in well closed and filled containers away from light and
in cool place. generally volatile oils are liable to detoriate on keeping and it is accompanied by
change in colour or increase in viscosity of the oil, or change in order of the oil.