Tuesday, November 17, 2009

What are the names of the enzymes that are used to extract the following flowers' essential oils?

The flowers are: chempaka, chamomile and geranium.


Pls provide the links and the names of the enzymes used to extract their essential oil... Thank You!!!

What are the names of the enzymes that are used to extract the following flowers' essential oils?
No enzymes are used to extract the essential oils of plants.


Chamomiles and Geraniums are usually steam distilled. Champa is an absolute usually extracted with hexane.
Reply:Tinctures and plant extracts as much as they've contributed to pharmacology and other health sciences are at the same time rooted in both fact and "traditional misinformation."





I'm not sure whether to trust natural white willow bark or the laboratory aspirin it contains.





But I digress...





Plant and other extracts are basically just removed by means of researching whatever desired properties they contain, discovering


natural liquids (water, alcohols, oils) and/or other natural elements that the extract has an affinity for, and that's about it. Reactions with the enzymes that you mention would I think have to more involved.





A little bit of actual botany research is the best way to start. Not folklore, so much as people who aren't out selling miracle snake oils. There are honest botanical suppliers to be found, who even bother to mention little things like "a teaspoon of that particular bark is great for (whatever) but two teaspoons can kill you..."





Oh and, btw, the chamomile I'd have to look up, but simply steeping it in hot water should work.


Whatever components it contains may not be very water soluble though. Many tinctures use grain alcohol instead. It can be soaked, filtered, and the alcohol allowed to evaporate over gentle heat.


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