Thesis Abstract

<p> Perfume extraction refers to the extraction of aromatic compounds from raw<br>materials, using methods such as distillation, solvent extraction, expression or<br>enfleurage. The extracts are either essential oils, absolutes, concretes, or<br>butters, depending on the amount of waxes in the extracted product. Heat,<br>chemical solvents, or exposure to oxygen in the extraction process denature the<br>aromatic compounds, either changing their odour, character or rendering them<br>odourless. In this work three methods, solvent extraction, hydro distillation and<br>enfleurage methods were used to extract essential oil from lemongrass. Solvent<br>extraction method yielded 2.08%, enfluerage method yielded 1.96% and hydro<br>distillation methods yielded 0.95% essential oil respectively. From the analysis<br>solvent extraction gave the highest yield because of the less exposure air and<br>heat and this conform the literature value. The extracted essential oil was<br>formulated into perfume using a fixative and carrier solvent.<br>6 <br></p>

Thesis Overview

<p> INTRODUCTION<br>1.1 Background<br>Perfume is a fragrant liquid made from an extract that has been distilled in<br>alcohol and water.<br>Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have attempted to mask or<br>enhance their own odor by using perfume, which emulates nature’s pleasant<br>smells. Many natural and man-made materials have been used to make perfume to<br>apply to the skin and clothing, to put in cleaners and cosmetics, or to scent the air.<br>Because of differences in body chemistry, temperature, and body odors, no<br>perfume will smell exactly the same on any two people.<br>Perfume comes from the Latin “per” meaning “through” and “fume,” or “smoke.”<br>Many ancient perfumes were made by extracting natural oils from plants through<br>pressing and steaming. The oil was then burned to scent the air. Today, most<br>perfume is used to scent bar soaps. Some products are even perfumed with<br>industrial odorants to mask unpleasant smells or to appear “unscented.”<br>While fragrant liquids used for the body are often considered perfume, true<br>perfumes are defined as extracts or essences and contain a percentage of oil<br>distilled in alcohol.<br>A perfume is composed of three notes. The base note is what a fragrance will<br>smell like after it has dried. The smell that develops after the perfume has mixed<br>with unique body chemistry is referred to as the middle note. And the top note is<br>13<br>the first smell experienced in an aroma. Each perfumery has a preferred perfume<br>manufacturing process, but there are some basic steps. The notes unfold over time,<br>with the immediate impression of the top note leading to the deeper middle notes,<br>and the base notes gradually appearing as the final stage. These notes are created<br>carefully with knowledge of the evaporation process of the perfume. The top note<br>consists of small light molecules that evaporate quickly. The middle note forms the<br>heart of main body of a perfume and act to mask the often unpleasant initial<br>impression of base notes.<br>Traditionally perfumes were made from plant and animal substances and<br>prepared in the form of waters, oils, unguents, powders, and incense. This last<br>method of fragrance gives us our word ‘perfume’ which means ‘to smoke through’.<br>Most modern perfumes are alcohol-based and contain synthetic scents. While the<br>term ‘perfume’ usually refers to fragrances in general, in the more technical<br>language of the perfumer, a perfume must contain over 15% of fragrance oils in<br>alcohol.<br>The preferred fragrances for perfumes are by no means universal, but differ<br>according to cultural dictates and fashions. In the sixteenth century, for example,<br>pungent animal scents such as musk and civet were very popular. In the nineteenth<br>century, by contrast, such animal scents were generally considered too crude, and<br>light floral fragrances were favored.<br>Perfumes were held in high esteem and widely employed in the ancient world. The<br>wealthy would perfume not only the body, but their furnishings and their favorite<br>horses and dogs. On ancient altars perfumes were offered to the gods, while in the<br>14<br>kitchens of antiquity the same scents — Saffron, Cinnamon, Rose, Myrrh — might<br>be used to flavor food and wine.<br>Techniques involved in perfume extraction from plants include; solvent<br>extraction, distillation and effleurage method. These methods to a certain extent,<br>distort the odor of the aromatic compounds that are obtained from the raw<br>materials.<br>Important thing in relation to perfume making is that there are three key<br>ingredients you will need to produce perfume:<br>1. Essential Oils (these have been extracted from various plants (organic or<br>nonorganic) and when combined give the smell of the perfume you are trying to<br>produce.<br>2. Pure Grain Oil<br>3. Water<br>1.2 LEMONGRASS<br>Family: Poaceae (Gramineae), Cymbopogon species<br>The genus has about 55 species, most of which are native to South Asia, Southeast<br>Asia and Australia. Two major types have considerable relevance for commercial<br>use: East Indian lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus ) is native to India, Sri Lanka,<br>Burma and Thailand, whereas West Indian lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is<br>assumed to originate in Malaysia. The plants grow in dense clumps up to 2 meters<br>in diameter and have leaves up to 1 meter long. Further Cymbopogon martini<br>(Roxb.) J.F. Watson var. martini, which is native to India and cultivated in Java is<br>15<br>worth mentioning as it also grows in Bhutan and is extracted for palmarosa oil.<br>Another species with commercial relevance is citronella grass (Cymbopogon<br>winterianus Jowitt) which also stems from India, but is today grown throughout the<br>tropics.<br>The reported life zone for lemongrass is 18 to 29 degrees centigrade with an annual<br>precipitation of 0.7 to 4.1 meters with a soil pH of 5.0 to 5.8 (East Indian) or 4.3 to<br>8.4 (West Indian). The plants need a warm, humid climate in full sun. They grow<br>well in sandy soils with adequate drainage. Since the plants rarely flower or set<br>seed, propagation is by root or plant division. The plants are harvested<br>mechanically or by hand about four times each year with the productive<br>populations lasting between four and eight years Extensive breeding programs<br>have developed many varieties of lemongrass.<br>The quality of lemongrass oil is generally determined by the content of citral, the<br>aldehyde responsible for the lemon odor. Some other constituents of the essential<br>oils are -terpineol, myrcene, citronellol, methyl heptenone, dipentene, geraniol,<br>limonene, nerol, and farnesol .West Indian oil differs from East Indian oil in that it is<br>less soluble in 70 percent alcohol and has a slightly lower citral content.<br>Lemongrass is used in herbal teas and other nonalcoholic beverages in baked<br>goods, and in confections. Oil from lemongrass is widely used as a fragrance in<br>perfumes and cosmetics, such as soaps and creams. Citral, extracted from the oil, is<br>used in flavoring soft drinks in scenting soaps and detergents, as a fragrance in<br>perfumes and cosmetics, and as a mask for disagreeable odors in several industrial<br>products. Citral is also used in the synthesis of ionones used in perfumes and<br>cosmetics.<br>16<br>As a medicinal plant, lemongrass has been considered a carminative and insect<br>repellent. West Indian lemongrass is reported to have antimicrobial activity .Oil of<br>West Indian lemongrass acts as a central nervous system depressant .Oil of East<br>Indian lemongrass has antifungal activity .The volatile oils may also have some<br>pesticide and mutagenic activities .Cymbopogon nardus is a source of citronella oil.<br>Cymbopogon martinii is reportedly toxic to fungi.<br>1.3 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS<br>The problem of perfume extraction process is the distortion of the odor of<br>the aromatic compounds obtained from the raw materials. This is due to heat,<br>harsh solvents and also through the exposure to oxygen which will denature the<br>aromatic compounds. These will either change their odor, character or render them<br>odorless.<br>The problem of formulation of perfume involves knowing the proportion in which<br>essential oil, and other materials to be mixed to avoid skin irritation and increase<br>the intensity and longevity of the perfume.<br>Most imported perfumes are synthetic odorant which are not pure chemical<br>substance but are mixture of organic compounds that are harmful when applied.<br>There are limited perfume plants, from which perfume can be made; this can lead<br>to importation of perfume thereby causing the decline of foreign reserves and<br>unemployment.<br>17<br>1.4 OBJECTIVE OF PROJECT<br>The main objective of this project is to extract and formulate perfume from<br>Lemon grass (CYMBOPOGON FLEXUOSUS).<br>1.5 JUSTIFICATION/SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY<br>This project focuses on the production of perfumes from natural/plant<br>sources as against synthetic chemicals thereby will reduce any side effect resulting<br>from synthetic chemicals.<br>The success of this work will stimulate the development of the perfume<br>industry locally because of available, cheap raw materials.<br>More jobs will be created by those that will be engaged in<br>planting/cultivating of the plant as well as establishing small scale extraction plants.<br>There will be reduction on the resources spent on importation of lemon grass<br>fragrance by end users.<br>1.6 SCOPE OF THE WORK<br>This project work is on how perfumes are extracted and formulated from<br>lemongrass. It further entails;<br>o The synthetic and aromatic sources of perfumes.<br>o The composition of perfumes and its concentration<br>o The extraction methods and formulation process involved<br>o The economic importance of lemongrass and the uses of lemongrass<br>oil in perfume production process.<br>18<br>1.7 USES OF PERFUMES<br>1) The sense of smell is considered a right brain activity, which rules emotions,<br>memory and creativity.<br>2) Perfumes are used to mask body odor.<br>3) Used to make people feel good<br>4) To heal and cure physical and emotional problems<br>5) Perfumes are being revived to help balance hormonal and body energy.<br>6) It helps to bolster the immune system when inhaled or applied topically.<br>7) Smelling sweet smells also affects ones mood and can be used as a form of<br>psychotherapy.<br>8) Perfumes are being created to duplicate the effect of pheromones and<br>stimulate sexual arousal receptors in the brain. <br></p>