SUGANDHAKOKILA OIL

Botanical Name Cinnamomum glaucescens (Nees)Hand. -Mazz.
Synonyms Cinnamomum cecidodaphne MEISSN.
Family Lauraceae
Local Name Sugandhakokila, Malagiri
English Name Nepalese Sassafras

Plant Description

It is a medium-sized tree reaching up to 15m high. Leaves are stalked, elliptic to ovate, and pointed. The flowers are yellowish. Fruits globose, green during young and turns black when ripe. It is distributed in western and central Nepal within an altitude of 1OOOm to 2500m, mostly along the river banks.

Extraction

Sugandhakokila oil is extracted by steam distillation of the dried berries of Cinnamomum glaucescens.

Uses

The oil has a wide range of medicinal properties and is used as an analgesic, astringent, carminative, digestive, and relaxant. Similarly, it is used in arthritis, joint and muscular pains, neuralgia, rheumatism, sprain, dyspepsia, colic, headache, insomnia, nervous tension, etc.

Organoleptic Properties

Appearance: Fluid liquid Golden
Colour: Yellow
Aroma: Camphoraceous, Spicy

Active Constituents

Methyl cinnamate and 1,8-cineole are the major constituents of Sugandhakokila oil. Other compounds are safrole, myristicin, and elemicin. The minor constituents are β -caryophyllene, α -terpineol, γ-terpinene, geranyl acetate, geraniol, α -copaene, sabinene, terpinen-4-ol, 2-undecanone, 6-cadinene, dodecanoic acid, Linalool, α -santalene, 2-nonanone, styrene, α -thujene, α -pinene, etc.

Physico-Chemical Properties

Specific gravity 0.88106 to 0.94497 at 25°C?>
Optical rotation [-] 10.5°to [-] 20.5° at 25°C?>
Refractive index 1.4870 to 1.4975 at 25°C?>
Acid number 0.5 to 6.5
Ester number Not less than 65
Ester number 100 to 145 (after acetylation) (after acetylation)
Solubility Soluble in 0.4to 2.5 val. Of 90%alcohol; turbid on addition of further alcohol, Insoluble in water