Page 71 - วารสารกรมการแพทย์แผนไทยฯ ปีที่ 5 ฉบับที่ 3

«“√ “√°“√·æ∑¬
«“√ “√°“√·æ∑¬
«“√ “√°“√·æ∑¬å·ºπ‰∑¬·≈–°“√·æ∑¬å∑“߇≈◊Õ°å·ºπ‰∑¬·≈–°“√·æ∑¬å∑“߇≈◊Õ°
«“√ “√°“√·æ∑¬å·ºπ‰∑¬·≈–°“√·æ∑¬å∑“߇≈◊Õ°
«“√ “√°“√·æ∑¬å·ºπ‰∑¬·≈–°“√·æ∑¬å∑“߇≈◊Õ°å·ºπ‰∑¬·≈–°“√·æ∑¬å∑“߇≈◊Õ° Journal of Thai Traditional & Alternative Medicine
Journal of Thai Traditional & Alternative Medicine Vol. 5 No. 3 September-December 2007
Vol. 5 No. 3 September - December 2007
ªï∑’Ë ı ©∫—∫∑’Ë Û °—𬓬π-∏—𫓧¡ Úıı
Original Article

The Development of Local Animal Fat as an

Alternative Method in the Extraction of Essential

Oil for Aromatherapy

Tanit Padumanonda*
†
Chayan Pichaensoonthon*
Worraruethai Pensuk*

Abstract
Enfleurage is a traditional method to extract the fragrance (essential oil) from delicate flowers using
odorless fat. The preparation of fats is one of the most important factors to determine the quality of extracted
volatile oil. The aim of this study was to develop the optimum conditions of various kinds of local animal fats
and use them to extract oil from Michelia alba DC. Animal fats used in this study were fats from pigs, cattle,
and buffalos, all of which were extracted using dichloromethane. According to the results, buffalo fat is the
best material for enfleurage because of its colorless and smooth texture which provides optimum rigidity.
Buffalo fats extracted with dichloromethane in the ratio of 3:2 (w/v) for 10 days and later soaked in ethanol for
7 days showed the best yield of purified fats. In addition, the extraction of buffalo fat by the aforementioned
method is easy to perform since it is highly available at very low cost and requires only a simple preparation
method.
Key words : Enfleurage, animal fat, essential oil, Michelia alba

Introduction essential oil is a liquid that is generally distilled (most

Aromatherapy is the practice of using the es- frequently by steam or water) from the leaves, stems,
sential oils from any of a variety of plants in order to flowers, bark, roots, or other components of a plant.
1
bring about certain changes in the body or the mood of Essential oil extract is one of the essential products
a subject or patient. Essential oils that are inhaled in perfume, aromatherapy and the spa business around
3
into the lungs are believed to offer both psychological the world, including Thailand. In Thai traditional
and physical benefits; not only does the aroma of the medicine, essential oils are wildly used as massage
natural essential oil stimulate the brain to trigger a oil to initiate deeper breathing and relaxation response,
reaction, but the natural constituents (naturally oc- improve posture and joint flexibility, increase circula-
curring chemicals) of the essential oil are drawn into tion and lymph drainage and free energy flow through
2 4
the lungs and can also supply physical benefit. An the body and mind.
There are a number of methods used to obtain
essential oils from plants, such as steam distillation,
*Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Pharmacognosy, Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Thailand solvent extraction and enfleurage. Enfleurage is the
†
The Academy of Science, the Royal Institute, Thailand process of extracting the aromatic soul of a plant (usu-

Ú˜˘