VOLATILE OILS

• Characteristics of Volatile Oils (Essences)

  • Odorous principles found in various plant parts
  • Also called ethereal oils or essential oils
  • Colorless when fresh, but may oxidize and resinify on long standing
  • Stored in a cool, dry place in tightly stoppered preferably full, amber glass container
• Methods of Obtaining Volatile Oils

  1. Water Distillation applied to dried plant materials not subject to injury by boiling

  2. Water and Steam Distillation employed for dried or fresh substances that may be injured by boiling

  3. Direct Steam Distillation applied to fresh plant drugs

  4. Expression for aromas affected by heat

  5. Ecuelle involves puncturing oil glands by rolling fruit over a trough line with sharp projections

  6. Enfleurage used in perfume production using cold fat
• Chemistry of Volatile Oils

  • Low temperature crystallizes stearoptenes
  • Fractional distillation
  • Fractional crystallization from poor solvents
  • Different forms of chromatography
  • Removal of chemical action
  • Eleoptene is the liquid portion
• Classification of Volatile Oils

  • HC (Hydrocarbon)
  • ROH (Alcohol)
  • RCHO (Aldehyde)
  • RCOR (Ketone)
  • -OH (Phenol)
  • Phenolic ethers
  • Oxides
  • Esters
• Volatile Oils act as insect repellants and attractants
• Terpenes are principal components of essential oils
• Isoprene units are building blocks for terpenes
• Turpentine Oil is distilled from oleoresin of Pinus Palustris, Pinaceae
• Terpin hydrate or terpinol is formed by the action of HNO3 on rectified turpentine oil in the presence of alcohol
• Plants


  • Lemongrass (Tanglad) - Andropogon citratus DC. (Family Gramineae)
  • Citronella grass - Andropogon nardus L. Var tortilis (Presl) Merr. (Family Gramineae)
  • Sambong - Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. (Family Compositae)
  • Damong mabaho - Blumea lacera (Burm f.) DC. (Family Compositae)
  • Namog - Cinnamomum iners Reinw. (Family Lauraceae)
  • Kayumamis - Clausena anisum-olens (Blanco) Merr. (Family Ratuceae)
  • Suganda - Coleus amboinicus Lou
• Spirit of turpentine is used as a counter irritant in Vicks Vaporub and Sloan liniment
• Formation of Terpin hydrate or terpinol


  Action of HNO3 on rectified turpentine oil in the presence of alcohol
• Physical properties of volatile oils

  • Characteristic odors
  • High refractive indices
  • Optical activity
  • Immiscibility with H2O
  • Soluble in organic solvents
• Menthol is obtained from Japanese peppermint which is solid on the crystallized portion remaining after refrigeration of the peppermint oil
• Points of differentiation between volatile oils and fixed oils

  • Aldehyde volatile oils
  • Ketone volatile oils
  • Oxide volatile oils
  • Ester volatile oils
  • Phenol volatile oils
  • Phenolic ether volatile oils
• Marginal utility


  Additional utility (satisfaction) gained from the consumption of an additional product
• Methyl salicylate is the synthetic oil produced from the maceration and subsequent steam distillation of Gautheria procumbers
• Plants

  • opogon nardus L. Var tortilis (Presl) Merr. (Fam Gramineae)
  • Sambong Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. (Fam. Compositae)
  • Damong mabaho Blumea lacera (Burm f.) DC. (Fam. Compositae)
  • Namog Cinnamomum iners Reinw. (Fam. Lauraceae)
  • Kayumamis Clausena anisum-olens (Blanco) Merr. (Fam Ratuceae)
  • Suganda Coleus amboinicus Lour. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Lemon-scented gum Eucalyptus citriodora Hook. (Fam. Myrtaceae)
  • Bagras Eucalyptus deglupta Bl. (Fam. Myrtaceae)
  • Blue gum tree Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (Fam. Myrtaceae)
  • Swamp mahogany Eucalyptus robusta Sm. (Fam. Myrtaceae)
  • Idsa Gaultheria cumingiana Vidal (Fam. Ericaceae)
  • Suob-kabayo Hyptis suaveolens Poir. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Tala Limnophila rugosa (Roth) Merr. (Fam. Scrophulariaceae)
  • Cajuput oil tree Melaleuca leucadendron L. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Hierba buena Mentha cordifolia Opiz. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Malva rosa Pelargonium graveolens Ait. (Fam. Geraniaceae)
  • Benguet Pinus insularis Endl. (Fam. Pinaceae)
  • Ikmo Piper betle L. (Fam. Piperaceae)
  • Kablin Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Milfoil Achillea millefolium L. (Fam. Compositae)
  • Damong maria Artemisia vulgaris L. (Fam. Compositae)
  • Marjoram Majorana hortensis (L.) Moench (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Polius Mentha arvensis L. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Bolanoy Ocimum sanctum L. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Oregano Origanum vulgare L. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Romera Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Celery fruit Apium graveolens L. (Fam. Umbelliferae)
  • Kulantro Coriandrum sativum L. (Fam. Umbelliferae)
  • Fennel Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (Fam. Umbelliferae)
  • Sanke Illicium verum Hook. F. (Fam Magnoliaceae)
  • Anis Pimpinella anisum L. . (Fam. Umbelliferae)
  • Paminta Piper nigrum L. (Fam Piperaceae)
  • Cajel Citrus aurantium L. (Fam. Rutaceae)
  • Lukban Citrus grandsi Osbeck (Fam. Rutaceae)
  • Kabuyaw Citrus hystrix DC. (Fam. Rutaceae)
  • Limon Citrus microcarpa (L.) Burm. F. (Fam. Rutaceae)
  • Dalanghita Citrus nobilis Lour. (Fam. Rutaceae)
  • Sweet orange Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck (Fam. Rutaceae)
  • Mustasa Brassica iritegrifolia (West) O. E. Schutz (Fam. Cruciferae)
  • Ilang-ilang Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook. F. & Thom. (Fam. Anonaceae)
  • Azahar Citrus aurantium L. (Fam. Rutaceae)
  • Manzanilla Chrysanthemum indicum L. (Fam. Compositae)
  • Rosas Rosa spp. (Fam. Rosaceae)
  • Alpasotes Chenepodium ambrosioides L. (Fam. Chenopodicaceae)
  • Kalingag Cinnamomum mercadoi Vidal (Fam. Lauraceae)
  • Kami Cinnamomum mindanense Elm. (Fam. Lauraceae)
  • Canela Cinnamomum zeylanicum Bl. (Fam. Lauraceae)
  • Benguet Pine Pinus insularis Endl. (Fam. Pinaceae)
• Volatile Oils


  • Odorous principles found in various plant parts
  • Also called ethereal oils or essential oils
  • Colorless when fresh, but may oxidize and resinify on long standing, darkening the color
  • Stored in a cool, dry place in tightly stoppered preferably full (not half-emptied), amber glass container
• Methods of Obtaining Volatile Oils

  1. Water Distillation – applied to dried plant materials not subject to injury by boiling. Ex. Turpentine Oil

  2. Water and Steam Distillation – employed for dried or fresh subs that may be injured by boiling. Ex. Cinnamon

  3. Direct Steam Distillation – application to fresh plant drugs. The crop is cut & placed directly into a metal distilling tank. Ex. Peppermint, Spearmint

  4. Expression – aroma injuriously affected by heat

  5. Ecuelle – involves puncturing the oil glands by rolling the fruit over a trough line with sharp projections that penetrate the epidermis & pierce the oil glands located in the outer portion of the peel

  6. Enfleurage - used in the production of perfumes and pomades, uses cold fat to absorb fragrance, followed by alcoholic extraction to remove the volatile oil from the fat, obtained volatile oils in plant parts such as flowers & petals
• Chemistry of Volatile Oils

  Low temperature crystallizes out the stearoptenes (solid part that separates upon standing), Fractional distillation, Fractional crystallization from poor solvents, Different forms of chromatography
• Removal of chemical action

  Eleoptene – liquid portion, stearoptenes - solid part
• Classification of Volatile Oils

  HC, ROH, RCHO, RCOR, -OH, Phenolic ethers, Oxides, Esters
• Terpenes are principal components of essential oils and act as insect repellants (preventing the destruction of flowers and leaves) and insect attractants (aiding the pollination of flowers)
• Terpenes are formed via the acetate mevalonic acid pathway (monoterpenes) and aromatic derivatives are formed via the shikimic acid-phenyl propanoid route
• Isoprene units are building blocks for terpenes (isopentenyl pyro-phosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate) which arise from acetate mevalonic acid
• Hydrocarbon Volatile Oils


  • Turpentine Oil - distilled from oleoresin, BO: Pinus Palustris, Pinaceae, SYN: Spirit of turpentine, USE: counter irritant in vicks vaporub, sloan liniment terpin hydrate or terpinol formed by the action of HNO3 on rectified turpentine oil in the presence of alcohol
• Alcohol Volatile Oils


  • Peppermint, BO: Mentha piperita, labiatae, SYN: USE: Pharmaceutic aid (flavor)
• Spirit of turpentine


  • counter irritant in vicks vaporub, sloan liniment
• Terpin hydrate or terpinol formation


  Formed by the action of HNO3 on rectified turpentine oil in the presence of alcohol
• Alcohol Volatile Oils


  • Peppermint
  • Cinnamon
  • Camphor
  • Spearmint
  • Eucalyptus oil
  • Gaultheria oil
  • Clove
  • Nutmeg
• Menthol is from Japanese peppermint which is solid on the crystallized portion remaining after refrigeration of the peppermint oil
• Physical properties of Volatile Oils

  • Characteristic odors
  • High refractive indices
  • Optical activity
  • Immiscibility with H2O
  • Soluble in organic solvents
• Marginal utility is the additional utility (satisfaction) gained from the consumption of an additional product. Total utility is obtained by adding up marginal utility for each unit
• Points of Differentiation between Volatile Oils and Fixed Oils

  • Aldehyde Volatile Oils
  • Ketone Volatile Oils
  • Oxide Volatile Oils
  • Ester Volatile Oils
  • Phenol Volatile Oils
  • Phenolic Ether Volatile Oils
• Philippine Sources


  • Tanglad Andropogon citratus DC.
  • Citronella grass Andropogon nardus L. var tortilis (Presl) Merr.
  • Sambong Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC.
  • Damong mabaho Blumea lacera (Burm f.) DC.
  • Namog Cinnamomum iners Reinw.
  • Kayumamis Clausena anisum-olens (Blanco) Merr.
  • Suganda Coleus amboinicus Lour.
  • Lemon-scented gum Eucalyptus
• Plants and their families

  • nardus L. var tortilis (Presl) Merr. (Fam Gramineae)
  • Sambong Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. (Fam. Compositae)
  • Damong mabaho Blumea lacera (Burm f.) DC. (Fam. Compositae)
  • Namog Cinnamomum iners Reinw. (Fam. Lauraceae)
  • Kayumamis Clausena anisum-olens (Blanco) Merr. (Fam Ratuceae)
  • Suganda Coleus amboinicus Lour. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Lemon-scented gum Eucalyptus citriodora Hook. (Fam. Myrtaceae)
  • Bagras Eucalyptus deglupta Bl. (Fam. Myrtaceae)
  • Blue gum tree Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (Fam. Myrtaceae)
  • Swamp mahogany Eucalyptus robusta Sm. (Fam. Myrtaceae)
  • Idsa Gaultheria cumingiana Vidal (Fam. Ericaceae)
  • Suob-kabayo Hyptis suaveolens Poir. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Tala Limnophila rugosa (Roth) Merr. (Fam. Scrophulariaceae)
  • Cajuput oil tree Melaleuca leucadendron L. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Hierba buena Mentha cordifolia Opiz. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Malva rosa Pelargonium graveolens Ait. (Fam. Geraniaceae)
  • Benguet Pinus insularis Endl. (Fam. Pinaceae)
  • Ikmo Piper betle L. (Fam. Piperaceae)
  • Kablin Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. (Fam. Labiatae)
• Leaf and Flowering Top Plants and their families

  • Milfoil Achillea millefolium L. (Fam. Compositae)
  • Damong maria Artemisia vulgaris L. (Fam. Compositae)
  • Marjoram Majorana hortensis (L.) Moench (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Polius Mentha arvensis L. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Bolanoy Ocimum sanctum L. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Oregano Origanum vulgare L. (Fam. Labiatae)
  • Romera Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Fam. Labiatae)
• FRUIT (ENTIRE FRUIT) Plants and their families

  • Celery fruit Apium graveolens L. (Fam. Umbelliferae)
  • Kulantro Coriandrum sativum L. (Fam. Umbelliferae)
  • Fennel Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (Fam. Umbelliferae)
  • Sanke Illicium verum Hook. f. (Fam Magnoliaceae)
  • Anis Pimpinella anisum L. . (Fam. Umbelliferae)
  • Paminta Piper nigrum L. (Fam Piperaceae)
• FRUIT (OUTER RIND) Plants and their families

  • Cajel Citrus aurantium L. (Fam. Rutaceae)
  • Lukban Citrus grandsi Osbeck (Fam. Rutaceae)
  • Kabuyaw Citrus hystrix DC. (Fam. Rutaceae)
  • Limon Citrus microcarpa (L.) Burm. F. (Fam. Rutaceae)
  • Dalanghita Citrus nobilis Lour. (Fam. Rutaceae)
  • Sweet orange Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck (Fam. Rutaceae)