ISHS Acta Horticulturae 73: I International Symposium on Spices and Medicinal plants
BASIS OF QUALITY DETERMINATION OF ESSENTIAL OILS, WHICH ARE USED IN MEDICINE |
| Author: | K.-H. Kubeczka |
| Abstract:
Essential oils are complex mixtures of numerous components. Their use in pharmacy is due to the physiological effect of a single component of the essential oil, or - more often - of a group of components. The valuation of an essential oil basing only on the percentage of the main component and physicochemical constants, as found in most of european pharmacopoeas, gives the risk of non-detecting lower qualities and falsifications. Considering the explosion of prices of the essential oils during the last seven years, the detection of the increasing number of falsifications is not only of scientific interest, but also of great economic importance. Possibilities for an adequate screening of essential oils are introduced and their effectivity is compared with established tests. By means of these methods, especially by temperatureprogrammed GLC with packed columns, the quality of an oil can be checked in a short time and falsifications can clearely be identified considering not only the main components of an essential oil, but also characteristic minor compounds. | |
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