LAVENDER OIL

Pharmacognosy-IV PHG-506

Syed Muhammad Zubair Hussain 6th Semester

151310061 3rd Year (Repeater Morning)

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

DEAPRTMENT OF PHARMACY
FUUAST
Lavender Oil
Lavender oil is an essential oil obtained by distillation from the flower spikes
of certain species of lavender. There are over 400 types of lavender worldwide
with different scents and qualities. Two forms of lavender oil are
distinguished, lavender flower oil, a colorless oil, insoluble in water, having a
density of 0.885 g/mL; and lavender spike oil, a distillate from the
herb Lavandula latifolia, having density 0.905 g/mL. Like all essential oils, it is
not a pure compound; it is a complex mixture of phytochemicals,
including linalool and linalyl acetate.

Source

Lavandula latifolia
Scientific Name: Lavandula latifolia
English Name: Broadleaved lavender, spike lavender, aspic lavender or Portuguese
lavender
Local Name: ‫اﺳﻄﻮ ﺧﻮدوس ﭘﺮﺗﮕﺎﻟﯽ‬
Family: Lamiaceae
Parts Used: Leaves, Fruit, Flowers

Obtaining Method
Pure lavender essential oil is produced through steam distillation. This
generates a greater amount of oil compared to other methods due to
reduction of polar compound loss. Harvest of lavender blooms is typically
between late June and August. The cut lavender flowers and stems are
compacted into a lavender still. A boiler is then used to steam the bottom of
the lavender flower filled still at a very low pressure. The lavender flower
pockets containing oil are broken from this heating process and a pipe of cold
water is run through the center of the still. The hot lavender oil vapor
condenses on the cold pipe with the cold water and is collected into a holding
tank where it is allowed to settle. Due to polarity and densities of the water
and oil, these two will separate in the holding tank whereupon the water is
piped out, leaving just lavender essential oil.
Lavender oil is produced around the world, with Bulgaria, France and China
leading its production.
Chemical Composition
The phytochemical composition of lavender oil varies from species to species,
consisting primarily of monoterpeneoid and sesquiterpeneoid alcohols.
Linalool (20-35%) and linalyl acetate (30-55%) dominate, with moderate levels
of lavandulyl acetate, terpinen-4-ol and lavandulol, 1,8-cineole, camphor,
limonene, and tannins.[19] Lavender oil typically contains more than 100
compounds, although many of these are at negligible concentrations.

Linalool

Linalyl

Lavandulyl
acetate
Uses

In the United States, lavender oil is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for its
intended uses. Lavender oil has been used as a perfume, aromatherapy, and skin
application, but these uses have no clinical benefit. Lavender oil is used in massage
therapy as a way of inducing relaxation through direct skin contact, although allergic
reactions may occur.There is no good evidence to support the use of lavender oil for
treating dementia.

A 2021 meta-analysis included five studies of people with anxiety disorders. All five
studies were funded by the manufacturers of the lavender oil capsule used, four of
them were conducted by one author of the meta-analysis, and blinding was not clear.
In this analysis, an oral 80 mg dose of lavender oil per day was associated with
reduced anxiety scores on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. According to
the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the effectiveness of
using oral lavender oil for treating anxiety remains undetermined due to the
limitations of these studies. Oil of spike lavender was used as a solvent in oil
painting, mainly before the use of distilled turpentine became common.

References
1. Groom N (1997). The New Perfume Handbook (2nd ed.). Blackie Academic
& Professional. ISBN 978-0-7514-0403-6.
2. ^ a b c "Lavender". National Center for Complementary and Integrative
Health, US National Institutes of Health. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
3. von Känel, Roland; Kasper, Siegfried; Bondolfi, Guido; et al. (2021-04-
11). "Therapeutic effects of Silexan on somatic symptoms and physical health
in patients with anxiety disorders: A meta-analysis". Brain and Behavior. 11 (4):
e01997. doi:10.1002/brb3.1997. ISSN 2162-
3279. PMC 8035468. PMID 33638614.
4. Generoso, Marcelo B.; Soares, Amanda; Taiar, Ivan T.; Cordeiro, Quirino;
Shiozawa, Pedro (2017). "Lavender Oil Preparation (Silexan) for Treating
Anxiety". Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 37 (1):
115–117. doi:10.1097/jcp.0000000000000615. ISSN 1533-
712X. PMID 27861196. S2CID 42697028.