UNIT 2 : Essential Oils Flashcards
What are essential oils?
The concentrated extracts of the aroma compuonds
What two things are characteristic of essential oils?
Volatility
Non-water-soluble
Where are essential oils used in everyday life?
Perfumes
Cosmetics
Flavours
What are terpenes?
The key components in most essential oils
How long have essential oils been around for?
Thousands of years (they were used in Egyptian times)
What does the “essential” of “essential oils” refer to?
It refers to the fact that the oil is derived or extracted from essences and contains the distinctive essence (scent) of the plant
What is the distinctive character of an essential oil attributed to?
T functional group present in it’s key molecule
What four types of molecule are found in essential oils?
Aldehydes
Ketones
Esters
Alcohols
What is the most common family of compounds found in essential oils?
Terpenes
What are terpenes made from?
Isoprene units
What is the chemical name of isoprene?
2-methylbuta-1,3-diene
What is the name given to a molecule containing a functional group?
Terpenoids
What are the two ways in which isoprene units can be linked?
Head to tail to form linear terpenes
In rings to form cylic terpenes
How are essential oils made in a lab?
We add pressurised steam into a container filled with crushed plants. The liquid formed is then cooled down and is collected in another container. The essential oil will float on top of water in the container and should be extracted from this state.
What are two examples of common terpenes?
Limonene (two isoprene units in a cylic form)
Carvone (two isoprene units in a cylic form with one carbonyl group)
