Cannabinoids are compounds found primarily in the cannabis plant that are able to affect components of the endocannabinoid system such as receptors or enzymes.
Continue ReadingCannabinoids, or phytocannabinoids, are chemical compounds found in cannabis plants. Cannabis plants produce hundreds of different chemical compounds, but science has only researched a fraction of these. CBD and THC are the two most well-known cannabinoids.
Lavender has been cultivated throughout history. While its popularity has fluctuated over the years, it has undoubtedly made a huge impact on the world.
Lemon verbena is a relatively rare oil with readily available components, which often leads to it being adulterated. Lemon verbena is unique in that it has 4 distinct chemotypes.
One of the many tests we perform at APRC is on the LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry) for pesticides. Our board member, Dr. Dosoky, has developed a method to detect pesticides in essential oils.
Agarwood oil, or oud, is a complex oil which has many unidentified compounds. Due to its rarity and price, adulteration is common.
Have you ever heard of the paper test? The theory goes that if you put a drop of essential oil on a white piece of paper, you can tell if it is pure based on if it evaporates or not. However, this test is only effective in a select adulteration type.
Due to the ease of adulterating osmanthus absolute, it is essential to have a lab test it for purity. One interesting fact about osmanthus is that it contains several chiral molecules. Chiral GC testing is necessary for testing the purity of this oil.
Wintergreen and Birchwood essential oils contain more than 98% methyl salicylate. Watch the synthetic route and mechanism of marker formation in synthetic methyl salicylate.
APRC is constantly evolving and growing as the premiere third-party laboratory specializing in aromatic plants. Our primary lab has microbial capabilities to accommodate testing at biosafety level two.
Ylang Ylang is unique in that it is graded based on the duration of distillation. Often, ylang ylang oil is adulterated by blending multiple grades while claiming to sell a pure grade. Lower grades can also have aroma chemicals added to mimic the chemistry of a higher grade.
As a follow up to our live video this week, we’d like to share the GC-MS results for the frankincense oil we adulterated as well as its original oxidized state. We have also included a typical Boswellia carterii essential oil for reference.
The common compounds in Melissa can also be found in other oils. Citral can be taken from lemongrass, litsea cubeba, or lemon myrtle. Synthetic citral can also be used to increase the percentage of citral in Melissa oil.
CEO Aaron Sorensen writes about his experiences travelling to Japan and Taiwan
GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) analyzes an oil by taking a small sample and volatilizing it into a gas using increasing heat so it can move through a special column. As these components exit the column, they are recorded as peaks on a chromatogram.
Sweet basil oil has 40-65% linalool. Linalool from ho wood or ho leaf can be added to increase the percentage and increase the volume of oil for distribution.
Aromatic plants are popular for essential oil production, which are in high demand in the fragrance industry. While pure steam distilled essential oil can be used to make perfumes, individual compounds are also commonly utilized.
Essential oils are primarily obtained by distillation. There are two main types of distillation: steam and hydrodistillation.
Bergamot is mainly produced for the essential oil industry. Since limited quantities are available per season, bergamot oil is often adulterated.
As a rarer oil, magnolia is often subject to adulteration. Since magnolia plants can offer two similar oils, magnolia leaf oil is often used to adulterate magnolia flower oil.
Dr. Setzer and Dr. Dosoky analyze the chemical constituents of Conradina canescens
Pink pepper, which is normally distilled from the berry of the Schinus molle plant, can be adulterated with the leaves of the plant. It is possible to either add the leaves in with the berries at the time of distillation, or mix the berry oil with the leaf oil.
Part 2: Dr. Anjanette DeCarlo explains a normal trip to Ethiopia and Somaliland
Dr. Setzer has studied many plants and written several publications on the Artemisia genus. Here are the findings of two such studies.
One of the main kinds of turmeric adulteration is component-based adulteration. By adding in heavier, less expensive components, the adulteration might not be visible on a GCMS, depending on the length of time of the run or the length of the column used.
Part 1: Dr. Anjanette DeCarlo discusses her introduction to sustainability studies and frankincense
Copaiba is produced in the form of liquid resin and is then steam-distilled into oil. The resin itself is fairly cheap, but the distillation requires advanced equipment. Very few companies have the capacity to distill the resin to produce a pure oil.
One common oil, tea tree, or melaleuca, is often adulterated due to its high demand. Since only a chemist can analyze the test results of an oil, the best way to be sure your oil is pure is to have it tested by a legitimate third-party source.
Cheaper citruses like mandarin, tangerine, and clementine are often used to make adulterated lemon oil to save costs and increase profit margin. Remember, when an oil is adulterated the constituent benefits can change and result in negative side effects.
Salvia is a genus of plant that has several common species. Dr. Prabodh Satyal and William Setzer, APRC board members, have contributed to a couple papers on Salvia. The first paper focuses on the most well-known species, Salvia officinalis, or common sage.
Neroli oil is distilled from the flower of the bitter orange tree. It’s a relatively rare oil, and is fairly expensive, priced at $3,000 per bulk shipment. Due to it’s price and availability, producers often create adulterated neroli oil.
Did you know that there is no proven “hack” to tell if an oil is adulterated from home?