ABSTRACT
The volatile chemicals in jasmine flowers are much appreciated in the perfumery industries. Conventional steam-distillation is generally considered unsuitable to process such materials, since it induces thermal degradation of many compounds contained in the flowers. Jasmine ‘volatile oil’ can be obtained by treatment of the concrete with superheated steam. Volatile jasmine oils thus produced are not used in the fragrance industry, but they are utilized on a small scale in aromatherapy. It should be realized that the term ‘oil’ or even ‘essential oil’ is sometimes used for products that may in fact be absolutes. J. grandiflorum flowers are mainly grown for production of jasmine absolute in India, Egypt and Morocco. J. sambac flowers are harvested in India mostly for ornamental purposes, garlands and religious offerings. Only some 5% of the annual flower harvest in India is used to produce absolute, but the sambac absolute appears to be gaining in popularity in the fragrance industries.
