2. INTRODUCTION
ESSENTIAL OILS
(VOLATILE OILS / ETHEREAL OILS / AETHEROLEA)
• are volatile in steam,
• chemical and physical properties are different from fixed oils.
• are secreted in oil cell, in secretion ducts or cavities or in
glandular hairs
• are frequently associated with other substances (gums, resins
etc.)
• are separated from the aromatic plants as a mixture of
terpenes.
3. INTRODUCTION
• EOs are found in these organs of plants;
– glandular hairs
– glandular pockets
– glandular channels
– parenchyma cells that are undergone changes
• EOs are found in these parts of plants;
– fruit (Apiaceae)
– pericarp (Rutaceae)
– petals (rose)
– leaf
– bark
– root
5. INTRODUCTION
USE of ESSENTIAL OILS
• in treatment (eucalyptus oil)
• as flavor (lemon oil)
• in perfumery (rose oil)
• as starting material for the synthesis of some compounds
(turpentine)
• as antiseptic preservative (oregano oil-high phenol content)
• antispasmodic (ginger, thymian, mint, chamomile oil)
• aromatherapy
6. TERPENES
THE ROLE of TERPENES in PLANTS
• help pollination
fragrant/aromatic terpenes (volatile terpenes) makes plant attractive
pollination
• protective
some of the less volatile and strong bitter terpenes prevents other animals
to eat the plants antifeedant (any substance that inhibits normal
feeding behaviour)
• phytohormone
another group of terpenes play a role as growth regulators
7. TERPENES
TERPENES
• isoprene are molecular hydrocarbonds (2-methyl-1,3-
butadiene) with (C5H8)n structure
• isoprene units are linked together in the form head-to-tail
(isoprene rule) oxygenated, hydrogenated and
dehydrogenated derivatives are called terpenoids
(isoprenoids)
8. TERPENES
• Otto Wallach (1847-1931)
• have worked on essential oils
• defined „isoprene rule“
• won a Nobel Prize in 1910 in
chemistry
44. TERPENES
SESQUITERPENES
• acyclic (a-farnesene, farnesol)
• monocyclic (bisabolol, bisabolene)
• bicyclic azulene and naphthalene derivatives
• hernandulcin: a non-calorie sweetener
• gossypol: is obtained from cotton. Antimitotic and Chinese men uses in
the traditional art for medication as birth control
47. TERPENES
• Coniferae: abietic acid; pests and pathogenic molecules
• Taxus baccata and T. brevifolia: Taxol; mitosis inhibitor-antitumoral
• Docetaxel (Taxotere®): type of chemotheraphy drug
• Paclitaxel (Anzatax®, Taxol®): metastatic ovarian cancer and breast cancer
