KETONE VOLATILE OILS

1. Monocyclic ketone terpenes:

e.g. Menthone, carvone, piperitone, pulegone and diosphenol.

2. Dicyclic ketone terpenes:

e.g. Camphor, fenebone and thujone

GUM CAMPHOR

B.O Cinnamomum camphora (L) Nees

Family Lauraceae.

P.U wood of stem and root is used for distillation of camphor. It is also produced synthetically.

Habitat: Plants are found in China, Japan and Taiwan.

Commerce and production:

Camphor is produced synthetically from turpentine.

HCl Sodium acetate

Pinene ---------------------- Bornylchloride ------------------------ Bornyl acetate

Bornyl acetate ----------- Isobornyl acetate

Isobornyl acetate ------- Hydrolysis ------- Isoborneol -----Oxidation-------- Camphor

The best yield of camphor is obtained from trees of 50 years old. Young branches and twigs are chopped up which are placed in wooden still, covered with 6 inch layer of earth. It is heated in an iron pan placed under the wooden still. Second end of wooden still is connected with a bomber tube which opens into a tub made of wood. One tub is placed over the other. Water accumulates in lower and sublimation of camphor is deposited on the lower surface of upper tub. After full circulation the sublimation is removed. It requires about 12-hours to distill one complete still of camphor 20-40 lbs. Of chips are required to get 1 lb. of crude camphor.

Properties:

It is white crystalline colourless and transparent material. It has characteristic odour and pungent aromatic taste, which is followed by a sensation of cold. It volatilizes at ordinary temp. natural camphor is dextro-rotatory and synthetic product is almost optically inactive.

Constituents:

Main constituent is a ketone having formula C10H11O.

Uses:

It is internally used as a mild antiseptic and carminative. It is employed externally in the form of spirit or liniment as a rubefacient.

It is also used in the manufacture of celluloid and peroxy plastics.

“SPEARMINT”

B.O Mentha spicata

Family Labiatae.

P.U Dried leaves and flowering tops.

Constituents:

Oil of spearmint contains carvone limonene, phellandrene and esters.

Uses:

Carminative, Flavouring agent, used in chewing gum.

“CARAWAY”

B.O Carum carvi

Family Umbelliferae

P.U Dried ripen fruit.

Constituents:

Contain volatile oil, carvone, limonene, dihydrocarvone, fixed oils and tannins.

Uses:

Stimulant, carminative, condiment, flavoring agent.

“BUCHU”

B.O Barosma betulina

Barosma crenulata

Family Rutaceae.

P.U Dried leaves.

Constituents:

It contains volatile oil with peppermint like odour containing diosphenol.

Uses:

Used as disinfectant for urinary tract in cystitis, for inflammation of prostate gland, used as diuretic and antiseptic.