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 |