LAVANDIN GROSSO EO – aromatic, herbaceous and camphoraceous essential oil with notes of lavender, Mediterranean herbs and light pine

A fresh, herbaceous, rustic, and floral scent with hints of camphor and bergamot citrus. Oil-rich plants from the Lamiaceae (Labiatae) family are an important source of essential oils, widely used not only as a raw material for perfumery, but also as spices and flavorings.

This family includes peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, thyme, wild thyme, basil, rosemary, sage, and oregano, but the most important for perfumery is lavender. Every year, around 1,000 tons of oils are produced (1% dry weight yield) through steam distillation of various lavender species. The most important are lavender Lavandula angustifolia MILL. (200 tons; Fig. 7.5), spearmint Lavandula latifolia MEDIK. (200 tons), and lavandula intermedia EMERIC ex LOISEL (750 tons). Lavandula is a natural hybrid between lavender and spearmint. The main production regions of these oils are the upper part of Provence (France), Spain, Portugal, and Bulgaria.

Although more than 300 components have been identified in these oils, the most important are (-)-(R)-linalool and its acetate. Lavender oil has the highest concentration of these ingredients, up to 70%, followed by lavandin oil (32% linalool and 26% acetate), while lavender spike oil contains only 40% linalool. Lavender spike oil also contains significant amounts of camphor (14%) and 1,8-cineole (26%); components that are found in lavender oil only in trace amounts (<1%).

The monoterpene alcohol (-)-(R)-lavandulol (1%) and its acetate (3%) can be considered as biogenetic internal standards for lavender/lavandin oils, since these irregular isoprenoids are not present in lavender spicata oil. The same is true for some C8-derived aliphatic compounds, relatively common in lavender oil. Three examples of these are: oct-1-en-3-yl acetate (1.2%), octan-3-one (0.6%), and oct-1-en-3-ol (0.5%).

Monoterpene derivatives constitute the majority (>95%) of all components present in the three lavender oils. The stereochemical isomers of ocimene and (+)-(S)-terpinene-4-ol are present in quantities up to 10%. The sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (<5%) consist mainly of caryophyllene (<3%), farnesenes (<2%), and germacrene D (<1%). Therefore, over 90% of lavender oil consists of only 12 components that are present in concentrations >1%. Another 26 components (7%) are present in quantities between 0.1-1.0%, from which it can be deduced that the remaining 3% of the oil consists of approximately 250 microelements with high structural diversity and, in some cases, interesting olfactory properties.

Galbanolenes (0.02%) and (1,3E,5Z,8Z)-undec-1,3,5,8-tetraene (0.004%), which are pheromones of blue algae and influence the nature of galbanum, contribute significantly due to their low detection limits and characteristic odors. Three other monoterpenes worthy of note for their importance are the cyclic rosofuran esters, peryllene, and nerol oxide. All isomers of linalool oxide accompany (-)-(R)-linalool in lavender oil, along with its oxidation product (+)-(R)-4-methyl-4-vinylbutyrolactone (0.01%).

Lavender oil is rich in sesquiterpenoid microelements and metabolites, among which a series of sandalwood derivatives deserve particular attention, belonging to the optical series opposite to that found in sandalwood oil. The hydrocarbon (-)-alpha-santalol, found in the oil in quantities up to 0.7%, is the precursor to (+)-alpha-photosantalol A, alpha-photosantalol B, and alpha-santalal. Among the metabolites of (-)-alpha-santalol, the aldehyde ekasantal deserves mention, for its sandalwood-like scent.

The jasmine odorants cis-jasmone and methyl jasmonate, and more importantly, the violet odorants beta-ionone and beta-damascenone, strongly influence the overall olfactory perception of lavender oil. Among the 25 benzoic compounds believed to play a significant role in the odor of lavender oil are coumarin, methyl salicylate, o-hydroxycoumarinaldehyde, eugenol, and guaiacol, as well as the bases 2-acetylpyridine, 5-isopropenyl-2-methylpyridine, and the higher esters of nicotinic acid.