| 80/85 - refers to the percentage of a particular chemical (generally standardized) in an essential oil. ie. in eucalyptus 80/85 refers to 80% to 85% cineol. |
|
| Abs. - See Absolutes. |
|
| Absolute - materials obtained from a plant using enfleurage or solvent extraction. |
|
| Acids - Acids in our contect, are a category of organic plant molecules which occasionally occur in essential oils. Many of them are water soluble, so they are found in the hydrolat rather than the oil. They are very good anti-inflammatory agents, and generally calming. Some acids are analgesic. |
|
| Acids - Acids in our contect, are a category of organic plant molecules which occasionally occur in essential oils. Many of them are water soluble, so they are found in the hydrolat rather than the oil. They are very good anti-inflammatory agents, and generally calming. Some acids are analgesic. |
|
| Adulteration - The introduction of an impurity that is either accidently or more normally deliberately introduced into a product and that alters its composition and properties, making it of an inferior quality. |
|
| Alcohol - An organic compound containing one or more hydroxyl groups (-OH) attached directly to hydrocarbon structures other than benzene rings. |
|
| Aldehyde - An organic compound containing the carbonyl group positioned at the end of the carbon chain. An essential oil constituent with antifungal and possible irritant properties. Mostly found in lemon-scented and citrus oils. |
|
| Alliaceous - Garlic or onion like. |
|
| Alkali - A compound which when disolved in water gives rise to an increase in pH level greater than 7. |
|
| Amino acids - The basic units that join together to make proteins. They contain functional groups amines and carboxylic acids, hence their name. The chemical bonds formed between amino acids when joined together to form proteins are called 'peptide' links. |
|
| Annual - Refers to a plant that completes it's life cycle in one year. |
|
| Anti-oxidant - A substance used to prevent or delay oxidization or deteriation, especially with exposure to the air. |
|
| Aqueous - Involving water: for example, an aqueous solution is a solution in water. |
|
| Aril - Husk or membrane covering the seed of a plant. |
|
| Aroma chemical - A chemical that has a useful odour. |
|
| Aromatherapy - The therapeutic use of essential oils. |
|
| Aromatology - Use of essential oils for their pharmacological properties. |
|
| Axil - Upper angle between a stem and leaf or bract |
|
| Axillary - organs such as flowers and buds, when they are found in the upper angle of the junction of a leaf with the stem. |
|
|
| Balsam - a resinous semi-solid mass or viscous liquid exuded from a plant, which can be either a pathalogical or physiological product. A 'true' balsam is characterized by its high content of benzoic acid, bezoates, cinnamic acid or cinnamates. |
|
| Biennial - a plant which completes its life cycle in two years without flowering in the first year. |
|
| Botanical Suffix - many botanical names will be followed by a letter or name e.g. 'L', 'Nees' etc. these refer to the botanist who described the plant and gave it its botanical name, although work is being done to standardize these botanical name there are still many instances where two or more botanists have described the same plant and given it different botanical names, hence the need for the suffix. |
|
| Butaflor - method of extraction of perfume material using butane. |
|
| Calculus - a solid pathological concentration (or 'stone'), usually of inorganic matter in a matrix of protein and pigment, formed in any part of the body. |
|
| Calyx - the sepals or outer layer of floral leaves. |
|
| Capsule - a dry fruit, opening when ripe, composed of more than one carpel. |
|
| CAS# - CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences, mixtures and alloys. They are also referred to as CAS numbers, CAS RNs or CAS #s. |
|
| Chemotype - the same botanical species occurring in other forms due to different conditions of growth, such as climate, soil, altitude etc. |
|
| Cold Pressed - Method of extracting essential oils from citrus peel to squeeze the oils out. |
|
| Conc. - See Concretes |
|
| Concrete - An extraction from natural products by the use of hydrocarbon solvents. |
|
| Constituent - a chemical compound of an essential oil. |
|
| Cordial - a stimulant and tonic |
|
| Corolla - the petals of a flower considered as a whole. |
|
| Counter-irritant - applications to the skin that relieve deep-seated pain, usually applied in the form of heat.. |
|
| CT - chemotype. |
|
| Cutaneous - pertaining to the skin. |
|
|
| Deciduous - describing woody perennial plants that shed their leaves before the winter or dry season. Various environmental factors influence the onset of leaf-drop (day length, temperature, intensity of the light). |
|
| Decoction - a herbal preparation, where the plant material (usually hard or woody) is boiled in water and reduced to make a concentration extract. |
|
| Dermal - pertaining to the skin. |
|
| Drupe - a fleshy fruit, with one or more seeds, each surrounded by a stony layer. |
|
| EC Number - The terms EC-No and EC# refer to the seven-digit code (sometimes called the EC number) that has been allocated by the Commission of the European Communities for commercially available chemical substances within the European Union. The European EC Number should not be confused with the Enzyme Commission EC number for enzymes.enzyme. The "EC#" designation supersedes the outmoded EINECS and ELINCS designations |
|
| Ecology - the study of the relationship between living organisms and the living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) factors in the environment. |
|
| Empyreumatic - having an odour of burnt organic matter as a result of decomposition at the high temperature of distillation. |
|
| Eponymous - bearing the name of the name or name giver. An eponymous scent is one where to describe the scent you use the name of the plant. For example: Peppermint smells like Peppermint. |
|
| Esters - essential oils constituents with intestinal antispasmodic and euphoric properities. |
|
| Expression - a method of extracting essential oils for citrus peel by crushing the peel to squeeze out the oils. |
|
|
| Facies - the general appearance or makeup of a natural group. |
|
| FCF - FuroCoumarin Free, furocoumarin is responsible for phototoxicity, FCF or BF (bergapten free) essential oils are specially rectified and these are non-phototoxic. |
|
| FEMA - Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association |
| Furocoumarin - component of bergamot essential oil that causes photosensitization. |
|
|
| Gas chromatography - a technique for analyzing essential oils, by separating out the different constuents using their varying chemical characteristics. |
|
| Genus - major plant specification group and the first of a plants botanical name, often abbreviated to the initial letter after the first use. |
|
| Glabrous - describing a surface that is devoid of hairs or other projections. Smooth |
|
| GRAS - FDA classification:- Generally Regarded as Safe. |
|
| Gum - any substance (natural or synthetic) that swells in water to form a gel. Strictly speaking, gums are always water soluble. i.e. Gum Acacia, Gum Tragacanth. |
|
| Gum Resin - exude naturally from plants or trees. Consists of both gum and resin, sometimes with a small amount of EO. For example - Benzoin. |
|
|
| Hydrosol / hydrolat - water collected after steam distillation of essential oils. Can be fragrant and is often used in cosmetics, or cooking, e.g. rose water. |
|
|
| Indiginous - describing an organism that is native to an area, i.e. that has not been introduced from elswhere. |
|
| Infused oil - vegetable oil in which plant material is soaked, so that the plant constituents are disolved into the oil. A form of solvent extraction. |
|
|
| Ketone - essential oil constituents with antispasmodic and mucous drying properties. |
|
|
| Lipid - fat-soluble substance. |
|
| Lipophilic - disolving in fats, oils and organic solvents. |
|
| Lysigenous - inter-cellular spaces, formed by the breaking down of adjoining cells. |
|
|
| Monoterpenes - essential oil constituents with mild stimulating properties. |
|
| Monoterpenols - essential oil constituents with antibacterial and mild analgesic properties.. |
|
| Morphology - the study of form, particularly external structure. |
|
| Niche - the place and role occupied by an organism in a comminity, determined by its nutritional requirements, habitat, etc. Different species mau occupy a similar niche in different areas. |
|
| Oleo gum resin - is a term to describe oleo (oily or fatty in nature or look) gum (partly soluble in water) resin (partly or wholly soluble in alcohol). Therefore, an oleo-gum-resin has a nature that is partly soluble in water and alcohol and looks oily. Consists mainly of oil, gum and resin |
|
| Oleoresin - a natural resinous exudation from plants, or an aromatic liquid preparation, extracted from botanical matter using solvents. They consist almost entirely of a mixture of essential oil and resin. |
|
| Optical Rotation - This is a property of the arrangement in space of the atoms in a compound, i.e. their stereochemistry. |
|
| Ovule - the female gamete and its protective and nutrutive tissue, which develops into the dispersal unit or seed after fertilization in seed plants (a structure that develops into a seed). Also occasionally used for vaginal suppositries or buluses. |
|
| Oxide - only one oxide is commonly found in essential oils: 1,8-cineole. It has expectorant and mucolytic (mucous releasing) effects. |
|
|
| Persistant - leaves that cling all winter, even though withered. |
|
| Phenols - essential oil consituents with strong antibacterial and antifungal properties. |
|
| Photosensitization - a reaction of furocoumarins to UV in sunlight that may cause inflamation of the skin. |
|
|
| Resin - natural or prepared. Exude from trees or plants. Formed by nature. Some resins are prepared in the laboratory as oleo-resins. Resins are solid to semi-solid, amorphous. If they contain no water they are translucent. Odourless, not soluble in water. Can be described generally as products that are used as incense, such as copal from Mexico and amber, they only yield fragrance upon burning. |
|
| Resinoid - obtained from resins. Resins are solvent extracted, yielding an alcohol-soluble substance that is less dense, more sticky and liquid like, called a resinoid. Viscous liquids, semi-solid. In a perfectly prepared resinoid, the odiferous material or EO is left intact. Olibanum resinoid is typical. |
|
| Rosin - prepared from resins. It is a translucent, friable resin that is obtained from the oleo-resin or the dead wood of pine trees by the removal of the turpentine. For lacquers, paint to rosin violin bows. |
|
| Schizocarp - a dry fruit that is derived from two or more one-seeded carpels that divide into one-seeded units at maturity. |
|
| Sesquiterpenes & sesquiterpenols - essential oil constituents, often with a woody aroma and anti-inflammatory properties. |
|
| Sessile - unstalked, as a leaf with no petiole or a stigma with no style. |
|
| Solvent - a liquid or substance capable of dissolving another. The substance disolved is the solute and the resulting mixture of molecules is called a solution. |
|
| Solvent extraction - a method of extraction of the essential oils from plant material by the use of solvents, such as hexane or ethanol. |
|
| Species - the last botanical name of a plant. Several species can belong to the same genus. |
|
| Specific Gravity - the ratio of the weight of a given volume of a substance to the weight of an equal volume of water measured at a stated temperature and pressure. |
|
| Steam Distillation - a type of distillation in which steam under pressure heats and releases the volatile components from a sample of material. |
|
| Stomatiferous - leaves that are marked by the minute, intercellular fissures in the epidermis that are flanked by guard cells (marked by small openings on the surface of a leaf, through which gaseous exchange takes place). |
|
|
| Terpeneless Essential Oil - an essential oil with all or part of the terpene content removed by solvent extraction or vacuum fractionation. |
|
| Tincture - Alcoholic extract of herbal plant material. |
|
| Top Notes - the most volatile ingredients of an essential oil or perfume. The first smells perceived by the nose. |
|
| Topology - the history of a region as indicated by its topography, which is the description of a particular place by its physical features. |
|
|
| Var. - abbreviation of variety, used in the botanical name. |
|
| Viscosity - the extent to which a fluid resists a tendancy to flow. |
|
| Volatility - is the property of a substance to evaporate (disperse into the air). Essential oils are volatile, with the top notes having the lowest boiling points and coming off most readily. |
|
