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Ambrette Seed Oil
Ambrette is an aromatic and medicinal plant in the Malvaceae family, which is native to India. These seeds have a sweet, flowery, heavy fragrance quite similar to that of musk. Despite its tropical origin the plant is frost hardy. The evergreen shrub grows well in India, Angola, and is cultivated in the West Indies, China and Indonesia. Its used as a spice in the East, and as a musk substitute in perfumery. In India it is popularly known as Mushkdana or Kasturi Bhendi. Oil is extracted from the musky, kidney- shaped, fully ripened seeds. The essential oil has been produced locally, but most distillation is now carried out in Europe and in the USA . Much of the essential oil of ambrette seed is now produced by CO2 extraction methods. The oil should be allowed to mature for a few months before use in flavours or fragrances, to allow the fatty acid notes to subdue and a rich, sweet, floral-musky almost wine-like or brandy like odour to develop.
When ambrette uncrushed/whole seeds are distilled, a liquid essential oil is produced, the crushed seeds yield a solid (so called concrete), the latter oil contains a high amount of palmitic acid. A true concrete is also produced. The ambrette seed concrete has little value in either aromatherapy, perfumes or flavouring, except as an intermediate to producing an absolute or tincture. A true Ambrette seed absolute can be produced from the concrete by alcohol washing of the lukewarm concrete, but commercially the 'absolute' is produced from the essential (distilled) oil either by neutralization and subsequent elimination of the fatty acids, or it is steam distilled from the extracted ' true' concrete. In another way, the absolute is an essential oil minus the fatty acids. Therefore not a true absolute
Ambrette seed is very grounding. Traditionally, it cures cramp, indigestion, acidity and other stomach complaints, and treats headaches and nerves. In aromatherapy, it is effective for anxiety, depression, fatigue or other stress-related conditions. It is also good for cramps, muscular aches and poor circulation.
| Adulteration: | Adulteration with synthetic ambrettolide or with similar macrocyclic lactones, and with farnesol etc. is not infrequent. |
| GRAS Status: | Ambrette seed essential oil has GRAS status. (49) |
Properties, Indications
and Uses: |
Properties: Hormone-like properties (1)
Indicated for: Certain hormonal insufficiencies (1)
Uses: Powerful adrenal stimulant. Can be used as an aphrodisiac or as an inhalant if trying to detoxify from steroid drugs. (1)
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