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4th May
Mastic
Just as I was about to close down and go home, Justin suggested that I pen a few words for your weekend reading. He is a harsh taskmaster! Therefore, whilst others are bidding their farewells, I am raking through the stack of papers on my desk in an endeavour to find something about which to write. Aha! Mastic! I remember writing something about this years ago. Let’s have a look through some old Newsletters. Got it!
Mastic is a resin, or more correctly an oleoresin containing little oil, obtained from an evergreen dioecious shrub, Pistacia lentiscus L. This small bushy tree occurs throughout much of the Mediterranean region, and is also found in North Africa. It produces the natural oleoresin from the trunk, which is obtained by wounding the trunk and larger branches with a gougelike instrument which makes an incision about 2cm long and 3mm deep. Mastic occurs in yellow or greenish-yellow rounded or pear-shaped tears about 3mm in diameter. The tears are brittle but become plastic when chewed. The resin has been used for chewing since the time of Theophrastus, and is also used in varnishes for oil pictures, in quelling halitosis and as a filler for caries. It is also an ingredient in ouzo. Further, I believe that the Sardinian warbler [a bird] is only found near fruiting shrubs of this species: no doubt the ornithologists amongst you will be able to tell me if this is correct!
An essential oil is produced by steam distillation from the oleoresin or occasionally directly from the leaves and branches. Considered antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, diuretic, astringent, expectorant and stimulant, it is suggested by Franchomme and Penoel that it can assist cardiovascular problems, rheumatic endocarditis and thrombo-phlebitis, but only under medical direction . It also seems to be useful for assisting bronchitis, coughs and colds, and muscular aches and pains. An interesting oil.
What’s in it? Have a look for yourself. I have just analysed a sample of oil from the flowering twigs of Corsican Pistacia lentiscus. I believe that this is probably upon what Franchomme and Penoel based their deliberations but, interestingly, it contains no sabinene, the reason for which it is contraindicated in pregnancy. Food for thought?
Bon weekend!
File Name : C:\Maspec\Data\2514801.ms2.
File Date/Time : 30/04/01 at 14:15:05
File Title : CBMS5 50M 1.2u 70(5)>259@10 15psi Split 60m/m
Operator : W E Morden
Instrument : Concept IS
Note 1 : Lines 210-220C Col 2.1
Note 2 : PISTACIA LENTISCUS (MASTIC) ZBMAST216095
Note 3 : ANALYTICAL INTELLIGENCE Ltd
Peak Peak Peak Marker
Area Time Scan Text
------ ------- ------ --------------------------------------
17.95 0:15:57 339 a-Pinene
0.96 0:16:20 361 Camphene
19.20 0:16:38 378 b-Myrcene
2.44 0:16:53 392 b-Pinene
11.94 0:17:14 412 a-Phellandrene
2.56 0:17:26 424 a-Terpinene
1.53 0:17:30 428 p-Cymene
4.74 0:17:42 439 Limonene
4.83 0:17:46 443 b-Phellandrene
4.27 0:18:09 465 g-Terpinene
1.21 0:18:46 500 a-Terpinolene
3.93 0:20:22 591 Terpinen-4-ol
3.25 0:24:27 824 Caryophyllene
7.17 0:24:59 855 Germacrene D + other unresolved C15H24s
2.60 0:25:33 887 d-Cadinene
5th April 2001
Colloidal Silver Vindicated?
PROOF! speaks out for silver.
The latest edition of the well-respected PROOF! journal [What works in Alternative Medicine] reveals exciting new research which could silence the silver sceptics.....What they have discovered is remarkable. In their studies, this simple metal, now produced in a suspension of superfine particles, is capable of terminating virtually all bacteria and fungi tested against it in under six minutes. Polishing off MRSA, for example, required just two minutes. Some indications show that colloidal silver may be effective against viruses which, so far, medicine has failed to develop effective weaponry to combat, write Lynne McTaggart & Bryan Hubbard in their editorial.
As the journal points out, this could be of profound interest to all Health Trusts involved in hospital management. Furthermore, could it be the answer to foot-and-mouth disease?
This really is most exciting news. Read all about it in PROOF! [www.wddty.co.uk] or, to get a subscription, phone +44 (0)1858 438 894.
I have to admit that when I first stumbled across colloidal silver three months ago my first thought was that it might be of assistance to infection control units, but I was unable to find any proof. It seems that Dr. Mark Farinha, Professor of Microbiology at the University of North Texas, may have come up with the evidence we seek. Although his results have yet to be published they can be seen on his website [www.silver-labs.com]. Regardless of the strain tested (MRSA or non-MRSA), colloidal silver showed a killing rate that exceeded 10 billion bacteria/mL in under two minutes. All that is needed now is immediate replication of the results and clinical application.
3rd April 2001
When I first received my copy of The Basic Chemistry of Aromatherapeutic Essential Oils I thought it not at all bad, but why not have it reviewed by another chemist?
More used to writing 3,000 word book reviews for the scientific literature, I asked Bill Morden, a senior mass spectrometrist at the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, to cast his eye over it. Requesting him not to exceed 500 words, I didn’t know what to expect.
All in all, he seems to agree with my own view, particularly as far as too many references to Franchomme and Penoel are concerned. However, on second thoughts, until people like Joy, Sal Battaglia and Kurt Schnaubelt came along, we all depended upon the deliberations of Pierre and Daniel.
Meanwhile I was interested to read in last week’s Sunday Times “What’s the alternative?, in response to I am travelling to Ecuador soon and am worried about mosquito bites, that one of the most important medicinal plants to come out of India is Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.). Good heavens, I have been trying to get this point across for several years: just click on search and enter “Neem”.
Susan Clark of the Sunday Times suggests that, until researchers at Glasgow University have launched their new neem-based mosquito repellent, it might not be a bad idea to take a bottle of the odd-smelling Neem oil to massage into the skin, which will act in the same way.
Odd-smelling? Why not add a drop or two of Sandalwood (Santalum album L), as they do in India? Go for it, and keep those dipterous flies at bay!
Since writing my piece on Muddled Myrtle I have received the GC-MS analysis of this month’s special offer Corsican Green Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.). To make things a little more interesting, I have also posted a few other analyses for your delectation.
Check them out at Oil of the Month. Wander through the myrtle maze, and let me know which is which: colour that is!