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Volatile Oil
Volatile oil:
Volatile oil are the odorous constituents of plant parts which evaporates to air at normal
temperature. They are also called essential oils because they represent the essences or the
odoriferous constituents of the plant parts.
Chemically they are composed of hydrocarbon of general formula (C5H8)n and oxygenated,
hydrogenated and dehydrogenated derivatives of hydrocarbon. The odor and taste of volatile
oil is mainly determined by these originated derivatives. All the volatile oils are vegetable
origin.
A. Distillation
Nuzhat Tasnim Amin, Lecturer, Dept. of Pharmacy, Varendra University
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B. Expression
C. Extraction by means of volatile solvent
D. Adsorption in purified fat.
a) Water distillation
b) Direct steam distillation
c) Water and steam distillation.
a) Water distillation: This process is applied to the dried and heat stable plant materials.
Turpentine oil is obtained by this method.
The dried plant parts are placed into the distilling chamber with enough water. Then the mixture
is heated until both the volatile oil and water is condensed in the condensing chamber. Then
the aqueous layer is extracted with a solvent.
Disadvantages:
b) Direct steam distillation: This method is applicable to the fresh plant parts which are
heat stable. Spearmint and peppermint oil are obtained by this method.
In this process the plant material containing oils are cut into small pieces and placed directly
into a metal distillation tank on a truck bed. The truck is driven to a distilling shed where steam
is passed from the bottom of the tank. The plant material is still green and contains considerable
natural moistures, therefore, maceration is unnecessary. Steam is forced through the fresh herb
and carries the oil droplets through a vapor pipe attached at the top of the tank in the condensing
chamber.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
c) Water and steam distillation: This process is employed for either dried or fresh
substances that may be injured by direct boiling. Cinnamon oil and clove oil are
obtained in this method.
In this case, dried material is ground and covered with a layer of water. Steam is passed through
the macerated mixture, because the oil could be impaired by direct boiling. The generated
steam is then piped into the container holding the drug. The oily layer of the condensed
distillate is separated from the aqueous layer or marketed without further processing.
Nuzhat Tasnim Amin, Lecturer, Dept. of Pharmacy, Varendra University
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Advantage:
Disadvantages:
Expression involve puncturing the oil glands by rolling the fruit over a lined sharp projection.
The oils from the glands is removed and the oil is washed by a fine spray of water. The resulting
oil water emulsion is separated by centrifugation.
Advantages: The volatile oil is obtained by this method without degradation or decomposition.
Disadvantages:
C. Extraction with volatile solvent: In the perfume industry, most of the modern essential
oil is obtained by this costly method. Volatile solvents such as petroleum ether and
benzene are used for this purpose. The volatile oils are soluble in these solvents. The
solvents can be easily evaporated and the dried volatile oil can be obtained.
Advantages:
Disadvantages: The disadvantage of Ether is, it is highly flammable and highly volatile.
In this method odorless fixed oil and fats are spread in a thin layer on glass plates. The flower
petals are placed on the fat for few hours, then removed and a new layer of petals is introduced
and continue this. After the oil is adsorbed on the fat, it is removed from fat by extraction with
alcohol. This process is known as enfleurage.
Difference between volatile oil, fixed oil and fat are given below:
In chemistry, volatility is a material quality which describes how readily a substance vaporizes.
Saponification is a process that involves conversion of fat, oil or lipid into soap and alcohol by the action of heat
in the presence of aqueous alkali.
Isoprene unit
Isoprene, or 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene, is a common organic compound with the formula
CH2=C(CH3)-CH=CH2. In its pure form it is a colorless volatile liquid. Isoprene is produced
by many plants, and its polymers are the main component of natural rubber. C.G. Williams
named the compound in 1860 after obtaining it from thermal decomposition (pyrolysis) of
natural rubber; he correctly deduced the empirical formula C5H8.
Terpene:
Terpenes are a large and diverse class of organic compounds produced by a variety of plants.
Terpenes can be defined as the hydrocarbons having the empirical formula (C5H8)n and the
term terpenoids represent the hydrocarbons as well as the oxygenated derivatives.
Types: Terpenes may be classified by the number of isoprene units in the molecule.
1. Hemiterpenes consist of a single isoprene unit. Example: prenol and isovaleric acid.
2. Monoterpenes consist of two isoprene units and have the molecular formula of C10H16.
Example: geraniol, limonene.
3. Sesquiterpenes consist of three isoprene units and have the molecular formula of
C15H24. Example: humulene, farnesol.
4. Diterpenes are composed of four isoprene units and have the molecular formula of
C20H32. Examples: cafestol.
5. Sesterterpenes consist of 25 carbons and five isoprene units. Example:
geranylfarnesol.
6. Triterpenes consist of six isoprene units and have the molecular formula C30H48.
Example: Squalene
7. Tetraterpenes contain eight isoprene units and have the molecular formula C40H64.
Example: lycopene.
8. Polyterpenes consist of long chains of many isoprene units. Example: Natural rubber
Monoterpene α- pinene
Hydrocarbons
Sesquiterpene α- cadinene
Alcohols Geraniol
Aldehydes Cinnamaldehyde
Ketones Camphor
Phenols Eugenol
Peroxides Ascaridole
Volatile Oil
Coriander
Chemical constituents: Coriander contain volatile oil 1%. The prominent of these are linalool,
pinene, limonene and cymene. It also contains small amount of geraniol, borneol, p-cymene, fixed
oil etc.
Uses:
Sandalwood
Chemical constituents: The main odorous and medicinal constituents of Sandalwood is santalol.
The other constituents are hydrocarbon santene, the alcohol santenol and the acid α and β santalic
acid.
Uses:
Cinnamon bark
Chemical constituents: The main constituent of the oil is cinnamic aldehyde. The other
component identified are limonene, p-cymene, linalool, β- caryophyllene and eugenol.
Uses:
Lemon peel
Chemical constituents: Contain vit- C, volatile oil, glycoside and ca- oxalate. The volatile oil
contains limonene, citral, geranyl acetate. Also contain linalool, terpenol.
Use:
Peppermint
Chemical constituents: Peppermint oil mainly contains menthol (50 – 90) %. The other
compound identified are menthone, limonene, cadinene, cineol, amyl alcohol, acetic acid etc.
Uses:
Lavender
Chemical constituents: The fresh flowering spikes contain 0.5% of volatile oil of which 30-60%
linalyl acetate, Linalol, cinol and terpene -4 ol.
Uses:
Ketones
Camphor
Uses:
1. Camphor is readily absorbed through the skin produces a feeling of coolness similar to that
of menthol and acts as slight local anesthetic.
2. Camphor is a topical anti-pruritic, rubefacient.
3. Camphor is used in several cough preparations.
Phenols
Clove
Chemical constituents: Clove oil contains volatile oil 14-21% which are eugenol, acetyl eugenol,
caryophyllene etc.
Uses:
Ajowan oil
Chemical constituents: The principle constituents of Ajowan oil is phenol mainly thymol,
carvacrol, pinenes and cymene.
Use:
Ethers
Fennel
Chemical constituents: It contains volatile oil (2-6) %. The chief constituents are anethol. Also
contains small quantities of pinene, limonene.
Uses: