 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Do you stock any oils that are actually grown in Oxfordshire? Failing that, do you have any oils that are grown in the UK? e-mailed Louise Bloor.
Unfortunately they have stopped growing
lavender in Oxfordshire, as far I know, but there is some excellent lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) just over the county line in Gloucestershire. Check out the latest edition of In Essence and you will
spot members of the IFPA Central Region Group wandering midst Snowshill’s fragrant blooms. Although I have never stocked the oil, because I think that Snowshill use most of it themselves, I have analysed it on several
occasions and it is far more floral than several other English lavenders. Check out www.snowshill-lavender.co.uk, or give Charlie Byrd a call on 01386 854821. Well worth a visit.
However, if you do not wish to
come this far, for those living in London Carshalton is the place to go.
In the early 1900s Carshalton was the lavender capital of the world. A project managed by Carshalton Lavender has revived the industry on a small scale. Each year, at the end of July, immediately prior to the harvest, there are Open Days at the field. You can go along and pick your own lavender and watch an on-site distillation demonstration. I have stocked their lavender in the past and will probably do so again this year, but supplies are scarce and rather expensive.
This year the dates are Saturday, 29th July and Sunday, 30th July between 10am and 4pm.
Those who have been in previous years report an excellent time, with running barbecue to satisfy the appetite and various stalls for a little retail therapy if you wish. There are are more details about the days, how to get there and a map on www.bioregional.com (Click on Local Lavender), or you can phone 020 8404 4880 for further information.
Because we sell several tonnes of lavender each year, I have to admit that I do the majority of my purchasing in France, Kashmir and Eastern Europe, but I do buy small lots from Norfolk and Hampshire as well.
Of
the other oils, we buy the Chamomiles (Matricaria recutita L. and Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All.), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium All.) and Spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) from British growers, because the quality is good and prices
reasonable. Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea L.) could be possibles also, but UK prices tend to be a little steep.
English Melissa (Melissa officinalis L.) is, to my nose, as good as it can get, and my latest batch of Lovage Seed from Yorkshire is absolutely mind-blowing! Fir oils from the Highlands will probably be next, but Canadian prices are hard to beat. We are always prepared to look at anything home-grown, but it must be truly competitive in today’s global market.
Meanwhile, whilst I shall not bore you with my gadding about, the lavender in France looks good this year and I do not think that we shall have to increase prices.
The weather here has been as good as anywhere in the world, but the cost of holidaying here is totally unrealistic. Beware of sandalwood (Santalum album L.) for sale in India, because it is invariably not the real deal and, in any event, should be avoided on ecological grounds. The Atlas cedar forests (Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Carriere) are in good shape, and well managed, from what Justin saw, but this does not mean that Chrissie Wildwood will not be right in the long-term.
The author of many articles and books about aromatherapy, herbal medicine and associated healing arts, Chrissie’s passion is the conservation of medicinal and aromatic plants, many
of which have become threatened in
the wild due to indiscriminate wild harvesting.
Never one to mince her words, she believes fervently that many are abdicating their responsibilities to the living planet by continuing to sell essential oils extracted from endangered plants.
Her latest article,
Dealing with eco-denial, in the current edition of In Essence, should be read by all, therapists and suppliers alike.
Personally, it made me smart and cringe for I am as guilty as any: I cannot refute authoritatively a word she says.
Therefore, in future, we shall no longer stock Rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora var. amazonica Ducke), Indian
Sandalwood (Santalum album L.) and Cedarwood Atlas (Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Carriere). They must be conserved for future generations.
Alternatives?
For the time being, we shall continue to stock Australian Sandalwood
(Santalum spicatum (R. Br.) A. DC.), but will keep it strictly under review as I am still not entirely convinced about the sustainability and ethicality of this product. Doubtless, others will tell me more in time.
I
have always been a little surprised that so many insist upon using Cedarwood Atlas rather than Cedarwood Himalayan (Cedrus deodara (Roxb. ex D. Don) G. Don) because I would consider them very similar. Also, having
travelled recently through several cedar forests in the Himalayas, I would not think them yet endangered.
I have intuitively directed people towards Linaloe Berry (Bursera penicillata (DC.) Engl. syn: Bursera delpechiana
Poiss. ex Engl.) as a substitute for Rosewood. Although it is the wood oil from Mexico, rather than the seed oil from India, which is used like rosewood, many report good results with the berry oil. Whilst it does not
contain as much linalol as the wood oil, only about 30% in my current batch, it does seem worth consideration. However, my attention has been drawn recently to an essential oil which is being marketed as Rosewood-Tomar.
The oil is obtained by steam distillation of the dried berries of Zanthoxylum armatum DC,
or winged prickly-ash, an erect shrub with dense foliage growing to 6 metres in height. The
shining black berries
yield in excess of 2% essential oil.
Pale to olive-yellow, with a spicy odour resembling cubebs (Piper cubeba L. f.), the main component of the oil is linalol. It is said to possess antiseptic, disinfectant and deodorant properties, and has been reported to show strong anti-fungal activity. Because of these properties, preparations of the seeds have been used traditionally for dental problems, and the hydrolat for the treatment of scabies.
Nevertheless I doubt that I would call it ‘Rosewood’, and the suffix ‘Tomar’ has me baffled. Certainly, in India, it is known variously as Tumbru, Tejphal, Tirmir, Tejbal, Timbri and, in Nepal, Timur, but I have not
come across ‘Tomar’. Still, a few years ago, the production of Zanthoxylum armatum in Nepalese forests was the focus of some attention.
As a valuable medicinal plant Z. armatum is traded regularly with India, and the use of non-timber forest products, such as Z. armatum, often starts with extraction from natural forests and then may be gradually intensified into cultivation of domesticated trees. Interestingly, in contrast to earlier Nepalese studies, increased market price rather than increased scarcity was found to be the most important factor inducing intensification. Therefore, the report concluded that the effects of supply and demand factors on management intensity of non-timber forest products cannot be generalized - these effects depend upon both the management and marketing characteristics of specific products.
Of course the berries can be easily harvested from the wild without damage to the trees but, all the same, I think that I shall contact Nepal to find out how things are getting on.
Speaking of Scabies.
I am indebted to Ann Welsh for bringing it to my attention, and Lancet [2006; 367: 1767-74] for the information.
In a narrative review in the Lancet Seminar series covering scabies, a skin
infestation by the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei, the authors note that this is a neglected disease that can be a major public health problem in resource-poor regions, as it can cause considerable morbidity from secondary
infections and post-infection complications.
Cases are generally sporadic in industrialised countries, and epidemics are associated with institutions and socially deprived groups. In developing countries it is more frequent, especially in crowded communities.
Apparently, there is a limited range of drugs available for treatment, and few controlled studies have been carried out on those that are used. The acaricide permethrin is the first choice in many countries applied,
preferably as an aqueous solution, to clean, cool, dry skin over the entire body and left on for 8 to 24 hours, depending upon the preparation.
Lindane, to my horror, is also used, but it is generally considered second-line because of its toxicity.
Although not simple to use, benzyl benzoate (? in combination with monosulfiram) seems to be the most common
topical treatment, and it is effective and cheap. Also, an oral dose of ivermectin is increasingly used and is reported to be highly effective, despite not being widely licensed for this indication.
Nonetheless,
resistance is becoming a significant problem, particularly with permethrin, and new drugs are needed: there is promising data on a number of plant products such as Tea Tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia Cheel), and products from
Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) and Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). Could Zanthoxylum armatum be another?
A dead-heat!
No doubt you’ve had dozens of correct replies - however, it seemed
too good an opportunity to waste. Also an excuse to heave out my Compact Oxford Dictionary 1971 edition, and read the (very) fine print.....it’s always good to hear fromTerry Logie at the tip of Africa but, of course, he
was absolutely right.
At precisely 14.39 on Tuesday, 30th May, Poppy Holden and Eve Morris both hit me with the Oxford English Dictionary [OED].
The derivations of droye and pussle tumbled from the pages. Unfortunately, at work, I have only the Concise Oxford Dictionary, keeping the far more comprehensive OED at home. Fatal! I’m £100 lighter as a result!
Some had suggested that Droye and Pussle might be a pair of Elizabethan comedians, but that was quickly dismissed by Eve, a student of early modern literature.
Droye, or droil, has much to do with toil and, therefore, best describes a drudge or servant. Every Droy in the house, yea the kitchenmaid.
Pussle, pusell, pusshell, pucel, pusel, pusil, could simply be a maid....This
Girle is a metely good pussel in a house, neuer idle, but euer occupied and busy....but....My passion can wait, till the pucelle is more harmonious....a drab, slut, or courtesan as well.
According to Eve, this sounds
about right for Stubbes’ view of women. Maybe, but did not H.G. Wells comment somehere that “Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo”!
A look at lovage.
Having just received
from Peter Wilde a sample of splendid smelling oil extracted by him from home-grown lovage seed, I thought that I better take a closer look at this old English herb. Although probably not indigenous to Great Britain, it
was formerly very generally cultivated, and is still occasionally grown as a sweet herb, and for use in herbal medicine of its root, and to a less degree, the leaves and seeds.
A tall perennial herb with dark green
leaves and yellowish flowers, Lovage (Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch), of the family Apiaceae or Umbelliferae, is commonly known in Europe as the Maggi plant, sharing that name with the very popular, piquant flavouring sauce
in which it is an important ingredient. All parts of the plant are highly aromatic, with an odour and taste reminiscent of celery. The leaves are often used as seasoning, especially for soups.
I recollect that several
years ago one of my oldest essential oil suppliers gave me a bottle of lovage cordial for Christmas. Formerly much in vogue, I had not come across it since a boy.
I had not enjoyed it in my youth and found it even more
distasteful in later age! However, it contains not only lovage but also Yarrow (Achillea millefolium All.) and Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.), and probably owes its merit more to these herbs than to lovage itself.
From its use in this cordial, yarrow has often been mistakenly called lovage, although it is in no way related.
Lovage was much used as a drug plant in the fourteenth century, primarily for its diuretic and
carminative properties, but it was never an official remedy, nor were any extravagant claims made, as with Angelica (Angelica archangelica L.), for its efficacy in numerous complaints.
Besides increasing urine flow and
expelling gas, it was thought to be of value for treating kidney stones, jaundice, malaria, sore throat, pleurisy, and boils. The root is still used in Europe for the self-treatment of stomach upsets, bladder and kidney
problems, rheumatism, gout, menstrual problems, and migraine. Also, misled by the name lovage, many value the plant as an ingredient in love potions. Still, what of the essential oil?
Age of the root material is
most important, because it affects the quality of the oil.
Oil from fresh roots is considered superior. Distillation of dried roots gives rise to the formation of a yellow, gummy, and sticky mass in the condenser and oil separator, especially toward the end of the operation. The resulting oil is brown in colour. Distillation of freshly harvested roots, on the other hand, produces no gum formation and an oil of yellowish colour. However, with direct steam, very fresh root material yields only 0.1 to 0.2% of oil, semi-dried roots 0.3 to 0.6%, and dried roots 0.6 to 1.0%. On storing and in the course of time, oil of lovage root, like angelica, changes its optical rotation, from dextro- to slight laevorotation. With age the oil also becomes darker and more resinous.
Very little was known about the chemistry of lovage root oil until Naves [Helv. Chim. Acta 26 (1943), 1281] found that the oil consists largely (about 70%) of butylidene phthalides and of hydrophthalide derivatives
which are mainly responsible for the odour. Some of the same constituents are present in Celery Seed (Apium graveolens L.). The oil contains also 0.1 to 4.3% coumarins (coumarin, umbelliferone, bergapten, psoralen,
etc.), some of which are known to be phototoxic to humans as well as useful in treating psoriasis. Nevertheless, the phototoxic effects of lovage oil on humans are not known [D.L.J. Opdyke, Food Cosmet. Toxicol., 16
(Suppl.), 813 (1978)]. Indeed, lovage continues to be sold in Europe as the main ingredient (some say the only active ingredient) in many diuretic tea mixtures.
Turning now to the seed and leaf oils, it is interesting
to compare chemical composition. Most report the leaf oil to contain a-terpinyl acetate (29%), cis- and trans-ligustilides (18%), synonymous with cis- and trans-3-butylidene-4,5-dihydrophthalides, a-phellandrene (17%),
and a-terpineol (5%). The leaf oil also contains cis-3-hexenol, which is virtually absent in the seed and root oils [B. Toulemonde and I. Noleau, Volatile Constituents of Lovage. In: Flavors and Fragrances: A World
Perspective. B.M. Lawrence, B.D. Mookherjee and B.J. Willis, Edits., pp. 641-656, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam (1988)].
The same authors reported that the seed oil consists of b-phellandrene (63.15%),
cis-ocimene (9.20%), cis-ligustilide (5.60%), a-terpinyl acetate (3.07%) and limonene (3.06%), amongst others.
Therefore, when the results of the analysis of Peter’s seed oil arrived, I was expecting a major ‘peak’ for b-phellandrene. Surprisingly, it contained only 4.02% and no detectable cis-ocimene or limonene. Nevertheless, it did have two whopping ‘peaks’ for cis- and trans- ligustilides, 36.48% and 38.14% respectively!
Normally, I might think that someone had confused their roots with their seeds, but that’s not Peter. Therefore, it begs the question....Why?
Help with helichrysum.
Hi Charles, here’s one for you
methinks!
I was recently looking for a photo of Helichrysum italicum to put in some course notes. I came across the following and now am confused about what I am using: It seems illustrators, and even some purveyors of Curry Plant oil, tend to confuse Helichrysum with the Strawflower. We have found numerous photos of Strawflowers used to represent Curry Plant. Even in the Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Essential Oils, a great book for describing oils and their benefits, there is a photo of the right leaves but a drawing of the wrong flower. They even confuse the common names of Immortelle and Everlasting with Curry Plant. These names apply to the beautiful Strawflower but certainly don’t describe the wispy H. italicum. The helichrysum oil I have certainly smells more like a strawflower than a curry plant. I was taught that Immortelle and Everlasting are synonyms for H. italicum, but from what I’m reading it seems the oil I am using is more like Helichrysum arenarium. Can you help me clear up the confusion? I’ll try, but I’m no botanical illustrator!
First let us sort out Strawflower, Golden Everlasting, Paper-flower, or Yellow paper-daisy. I would think this to be the Australian Bracteantha bracteata (Vent.) Anderb. & Haegi, which is synonymous with
Helichrysum bracteatum (Vent.) Andrews. Its botanical reclassification was probably as a result of its review by Opera botanica in 1991.
Whilst “everlastings” may usually refer to the coloured heads of B. bracteata many
other materials are also used, especially species of Limonium, Rhodanthe, Syngonanthus, etc. Note the spelling with an ‘s’ on the end. Certainly, within the essential oil trade, we would not associate the common names
Immortelle and Everlasting with Strawflower. Also, as I have never been offered the essential oil (if it exists), I cannot comment on how it might smell.
Oils and absolutes originating from several European
countries have appeared on the world essential oil market over the years under the names Helichrysum, Immortelle, Everlasting, and St. John’s Herb.
In 1971, researchers examined the origin of some of these oils.
After extensive study, they came to the conclusion that French and some Spanish Immortelle oils originated from Helichrysum stoechas L., whereas Italian, Yugoslavian and some Spanish oils originated from Helichrysum
angustifolium (Lam.) DC. (syn: Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don.).
They found that the French oil contained a-pinene, camphene, b-pinene, myrcene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, cis-ocimene, trans-ocimene,
4,7-dimethyloct-6-en-3-one, linalool, terpinen-4-ol, neryl acetate, nerol, geraniol, eugenol, and three b-diketones [diones].
About the same time, others reviewed the chemical composition of H. angustifolium (syn:
H.
italicum) and showed that a-pinene, b-pinene, nerol, neryl acetate, linalool, eugenol, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and b-diketones had been previously identified in the oil. They also characterized for the first time in
the oil 3,5-dimethyloctan-4,6-dione and 2,4-dimethyl-
heptan-3,5-dione. Furthermore, they stated that these two minor compounds were believed to be responsible for the unpleasant smell associated with H. italicum.
Four years later, a Corsican Immortelle was found to be very different, containing 64% esters (calculated as neryl acetate) and 77.7% alcohols after saponification (calculated as nerol).
Is this perhaps H. italicum
ssp. serotinum, which Franchomme and Penoel describe as having high levels of neryl acetate, and about which the late Steffan Arctander wrote “Helichrysum oil (Helichrysum spp. in general, in his opinion) is a pale yellow, oily
liquid of powerful diffusive, but pleasant and rich, natural odour. The sweetness is so rich and overwhelming, honeylike and deep, that it takes more than the average imagination to appreciate the odour of this oil.
However, the sweet-fruity and tea-like, delicate undertone is unique, and the tenacity is quite outstanding. The main constituent of helichrysum oil is neryl acetate which is only rarely found in high percentage in
essential oils.”? Maybe, but is this chemical variation restricted to Corsica alone?
The genus Helichrysum is represented with about 500 species, some of which are endemic to
the Mediterranean area. Morphologically, Helichrysum species exhibit intergradations due to the existence of hybrids between widely distributed and stenoendemic species. Therefore, in search of safer taxonomic criteria, I like to examine the applicability of chemical characters in delineating subgeneric taxonomic levels or complementing existing taxonomies.
H. stoechas ssp. stoechas, for example, is easily distinguished from the morphologically very similar H. siculum by its intense curry smell when crushed.
H. italicum ssp. serotinum is also very aromatic, but very characteristic of this species are the non-flowering shoots without axillary fascicles of leaves. Fine, but what about geographical chemical variations?
Analyses of H. stoechas ssp. stoechas and H. italicum ssp. serotinum from Spain reveal that the major components of ssp. stoechas are a-pinene (28.3%), epi-a-bisabolol (21.9%) and b-caryophyllene whereas ssp. serotinum is
dominated by guaiol (8.9%), nerol (7.0%), and b-caryophyllene (6.0%). This just goes to show that the chemical composition of oils of Helichrysum species can vary considerably. Yet, some fail to bear this fact in
mind and assume that the composition of all Helichrysum oils is much the same!
Studies on Helichrysum species have shown them to possess a significant array of pharmacological properties. H. stoechas has been
reported to exhibit considerable anti-microbial, digestive, anti-inflammatory and choleretic activity. Oil of H. italicum ssp. microphyllum is used in cosmetics as a deodorant, and in pharmaceuticals as an expectorant,
anti-tussive and anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and anti-psoriasis.
Flavonoid metabolites with antibacterial properties have been isolated from H. picardii and H. plicatum.
Folk remedies have used extracts from H. aureonitens for years in the treatment of skin infections. The metabolite galangin, isolated from these extracts, showed significant antiviral activity against Herpes zoster. Among the isolated metabolites, phenolic compounds have been found to be responsible for the antifungal and antibacterial properties of the genus.
As for curry plant, I would think the issue a slight red herring, although I would agree that the illustration in Julia’s book could be anything. H. italicum ssp. italicum and H. italicum ssp. microphyllum are
available in the North American herb trade, where my correspondent’s confusion arose, as the curry plant and dwarf curry plant respectively. The oil of the curry plant is high in neryl acetate and g-curcumene. In contrast
the oil of the dwarf curry plant is dominated by neryl acetate, linalool, nerol, and limonene. The comparatively high levels of g-curcumene and a-curcumene in the curry plant contribute significantly to the turmeric-like
odour. Although levels of the curcumenes in the dwarf curry plant are in the trace range, they apparently still contribute to an overall impact of a turmeric-like odour.
And so, finally, to H. arenarium, the traditional source of the herbal drug Helichrysi flos.
A 20cm tall perennial with conspicuous white, tomentose, lanceolate leaves and small flower heads arranged in cymes, comprising
yellow tubular florets and bearing membranaceous involucral bracts [I can’t draw!], it is native in central, eastern, and southern Europe.
It belongs to the less aromatic taxa of the genus. The drug is presumed to come entirely from collections made in the wild. The main suppliers are the former USSR, Poland and Turkey. It is used for dyspeptic disorders, and is often adulterated with other Helichrysum species.
Helichrysi flos is often included simply to improve the appearance of various industrially prepared herbal teas. Experimentally, a mild choleretic and spasmolytic effect has been observed. The drug is
therefore used as an adjuvant in the treatment of chronic cholecystitis and cramp-like gallbladder disorders. In folk medicine, the drug is also used as a diuretic.
The flowers contain antibacterial constituents
(arenarin) which are also said to promote gastric and pancreatic secretions; this may be due to the effect of bitter substances (possibly sesquiterpene lactones).
Nevertheless, the essential oil, hydrodistilled from the
inflorescences, is very different to any Helichrysum oil that I have previously reviewed.
The characteristic volatile constituents are linalool (1.7%), anethole (3.2%), carvacrol (3.6%) and a-muurolol (1.3%), but what truly differentiates the oil is the high level of aliphatic acids (34.6%) and their esters (28.5%).
Could Nayana (www.essentialanimals.com) really have this oil, I wonder?
Revealing information!
Exhausted by my efforts delving into Helichrysum, I treated myself to a few moments of automobile research.
Some may remember that when my my mother died ten years ago Justin discovered in her attic some of my father’s old photograph albums.
Amongst the pictures were several of old motors. However, some in particular have always had me puzzled. Obviously taken during WWII, which is odd in itself, they depict several of the world’s greatest pre-war racing cars parked in a field somewhere; there is no indication where or when. To date, my best efforts had failed to reveal anything. Then, this morning.......
The photos were taken at a rally at Chessington Zoo on 13th July, 1941. This was the last event of its kind, the war then became too serious and the next gathering of this type was the 1945 Cockfosters rally.
How absolutely fascinating! I am greatly indebted to David Venables and John Warburton.
Whilst my mother was in labour, my father pleaded migraine and took himself to Chessington Zoo to relax. In his
album, there are several photographs of penguins and pelicans, all neatly annotated, but no reference whatsoever to the fact that the motoring get-together was at the same location on the same day.
He took his secret with him to the grave. I was born the following morning!
Finally.....
From Fran Rawlings Chair of the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists [IFPA].
The Charity Commission
has, on the 2nd June 2006, advised the IFPA that it does not now have to change its name.
This followed the IFPA’s appeal against the direction made by the Charity Commission, in October 2005, requiring it to change its name as a result of an investigation following a complaint that their name was causing confusion to the public. The Charity Commission concluded that “the decision was not properly made and the direction is discharged.”