Alcoholic volatile oils

Hafiz Waheed Ullah

Alcoholic volatile oils

Alcoholic volatile oils

The volatile oils which
contain alcohol as
constituent, are called
alcoholic volatile oils
Example:
Peppermint oil; contains
menthol
Coriander oil; contains
linalool
 Peppermint oil (Peppermint )
• Peppermint consists of the dried leaf and flowering top of
Mentha × piperita Linné (Fam. Labiataceae) containing not
less than 1.2 per cent of volatile oil.
• Peppermint oil/American peppermint oil is the volatile oil
distilled with steam from the fresh overground parts of the
flowering plant of Mentha piperita (Fam. Labiataceae),
rectified by distillation and neither partially nor wholly
dementholized.
• It yields not less than 5% of esters, calculated as menthyl
acetate; and not less than 50% of total menthol (free and as
esters)
• Geographical Source :
The plant is cultivated in Asian
countries, Canada. Europe and North America. It is grown
in gardens.
• Characteristics:
Peppermint oil is a colorless or pale yellow liquid that
has a strong, penetrating odor of peppermint and a pungent
taste that is followed by a sensation of cold when air is
drawn into the mouth
Chemical Constituents
• Constituents
• (–)-menthol (50-78%); in free form
• Menthol combined in various esters such as the acetate
(5-20%)
• Other constituents: (+)-menthone, (–)-menthone, cineole,
(–)-limonene, (+)-isomenthone, (+)neomenthone, (–)-β-
caryophyllene
Chemical Constituents

• Menthol separates on cooling it to a low

temperature (–22°C).
• The flavouring properties of the oil are due
to both the ester and alcoholic
constituents,
• Whereas the medicinal value is attributed
only due to the alcoholic components.
Biosynthesis pathway of
menthol
Chemical Constituents
Uses

Uses of peppermint oil:

1. Peppermint oil is pharmaceutic aid
(flavor)
2. Carminative
3. Stimulant
4. Counter irritant
5. In chewing gums, tooth pastes
6.
Flavoring agent in Phillips Milk of
Magnesia®
• Uses of menthol
• Topical antipruritic
• Used on skin and mucous membrane as counter irritant,
antiseptic and stimulant
• Internally, it has a depressant effect on heart
• In chewing gums, toothpastes, shampoos
• Menthol is a constituent of
Vicks Vaporub®
Coriander oil (Coriander )
• Coriander (Coriander Fruit) of the BP is the dried, nearly
ripe fruit of Coriandrum sativum (Umbelliferae), an
annual about 0.7 m high with white or pinkish flowers.
• Geographical Source :
• Coriander is indigenous to Italy. It is extensively
cultivated in Holland, central and eastern Europe,
Morocco, Malta, Egypt, China, India and Bangladesh.
Coriander oil
• Coriander oil is a volatile oil distilled from dried ripe fruit
of Coriandrum sativum (Fam. Umbelliferae)

Characteristics:
• Coriander oil is a colourless, pale yellow liquid, having
characteristic odour and taste.
Chemical Constituents :
• Coriander fruits contain up to 1.8% of volatile oil
according to origin (BP/EP standard not less than 0.2%).
The distilled oil (Coriander Oil BP/EP) contains 65–70%
of (+)-linalool (coriandrol), depending on the source, and
smaller amounts of α-pinene, γ-terpinene, limonene and
p-cymene together with various non-linalool alcohols and
esters
• The high content of fats (16–28%) and protein (11–17%)
in the fruits make distillation residues suitable for animal
feed. The fruits yield 5–7% of ash.
Chemical Constituents :
Uses

Pharmaceutically coriander and its oils are used as a

flavouring agent and carminative.
Cardamom oil (Cardamom )

Synonyms:
Grains of Paradise, Cardamom CH3 CH3 Fruit, Ilayachi
(Hindi).
Biological Source :
Cardamom consists of the dried ripe seeds of Elettaria
cardamomum Maton var. minuscula.
Family : Zingiberaceae.
Geographical Source : Cardamom is cultivated in Sri
Lanka. south India (Mysore and Kerala) and Guatemala.
Cardamom oil
• It is a volatile oil distilled from the dried ripe seeds of
Elettaria cardamomum.

Characteristics:
The oil is colourless when fresh, but becomes thicker, more
yellow and less aromatic on storage.
It is soluble in alcohol and readily in four volumes of 70%
alcohol, producing a clear solution.
Its specific gravity at 25°C is 0.924 to 0.927.
• Samples of cardamom seed yield 2.8–6.2% (BP not less
than 4.0%) of volatile oil and also contain abundant starch
(up to 50.0%), fixed oil (1–10%) and calcium oxalate.
• The active constituent of the volatile oil is cineole. Other
aromatic compounds present are terpinyl acetate,
terpineol, borneol, terpinene, etc.
• The seeds contain vitamin B1.
Cardamom oil
Uses
• Cardamom is used as an aromatic, carminative,
stimulant, stomachic, expectorant, diaphoretic, digestive,
appetizer, and flavouring agent.
• It is used in the treatment of respiratory disorders like
asthma, bronchitis, cough, nausea, vomiting, indigestion,
headache, diarrhea, colds, for flatulence, also used as a
spice in cooking.