Allspice Essential Oil
Allspice Berry Pimenta dioica is the dried, unripe berries of a large evergreen tree, growing to 10m tall, native to the Caribbean area. The leaves are large and leathery, about 8 inches long by 2 inches wide. The fruits are about 0.33 inch diameter, near globose, produced in clusters of a dozen or more at or near the terminals of branches. The fruit is harvested while immature, as it is then most strongly flavored. It is a drupe, with 1 or 2 seeds. The whole dried fruit is ground to produce the allspice powder of commerce. Christopher Columbus discovered allspice in the Caribbean. Although he was seeking pepper, he had never actually seen real pepper and he thought allspice was it. He brought it back to Spain, where it got the name "pimienta," which is Spanish for pepper. Its Anglicized name, pimento, is occasionally used in the spice trade today. Before World War II, allspice was more widely used than it is nowadays. During the war, many trees producing allspice were cut, and production never fully recovered. Most allspice is produced in Jamaica, but some other sources for allspice include Guatemala, Honduras, as well as Mexico. Jamaican allspice is considered to be superior due to its higher oil content, which gives it a more appealing flavour.
The essential oil is generally produced by the water or steam distillation of the crushed berries using the cohobation technique (distillate water is continuously recycled giving rise to higher degree of saturation of the water to maximize oil yield). An essential oil is also produced from the leaf by steam distillation. An oleoresin from the berries is also produced in small quantities.
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| GRAS Status: | Allspice essential oil has GRAS status. (49) |
Properties, Indications
and Uses: |
Properties: Anesthetic, analgesic, anti-oxidant, antiseptic, carminative, muscle relaxant, rubefacient, stimulant, tonic.
Indicated for: Dental infections, viral infections, bacteria in the colon, dysentry, sinusitis, bronchitis, colds and flatulence. (1)
Uses: A very small amount of allspice oil can be used as part of a massage oil for chest infection, severe muscle spasm or extreme cold. It is also helpful for rheumatism, arthritis, stiffness, chills, congested coughs and bronchitis. A couple of drops in a burner or vaporizer can help to lift the depression and to ease stress.
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| Toxicity: | LD50 - (oral) rat 3.6g/kg; (dermal) rabbit 2.82g/kg.
Irritation/Sensitisation - not known
Phototoxicity - Nil reported |
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