Essential Oil From Pine Needles
Description and Advantages
Philippine researchers of the Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) have developed a process of extracting oil from pine needles.
The process involves the following steps
- Placing small pieces of fresh pine needles in a clavenger flask
- Adding distilled water at a ratio of three parts to one part pine needles (3:1)
- Steam distillation of the mixture
- Collection of oil in a receiving container
- Separating essential oil from aqueous layer of the distillate
- Drying oil with anhydrous sodium sulphate
The essential oil yield ranges from 0.33 to 1.81 %. It has the following composition (percent)
| Alpha-pinene | 58.31 |
| Camphere | 1.75 |
| Beta-Pinene | 2.38 |
| Myrcene | 2.01 |
| D-1-limonene | 22.40 |
| 1-8 cineole | 0.27 |
| Alpha phellandrene | 0.86 |
| Lanolin | 0.16 |
| Bornyl acetate | 6.73 |
| Caryopphyllin | 0.19 |
| Borneol | 2.26 |
| Gamma-octalactone | 0.64 |
The technology has been pilot-tested.
For further information please contact
The Director
Forest Products Research and Development Institute College,
Los Banos 4031 Laguna, Philippines
Tel: (6349) 536-2377; 536-2360
Telefax: (6349) 536-3630
Source
Global Business Oppertunities, May-June 2002
