Honeysuckle belongs to the family of floral odors like lilac and lily of the valley for which there are no natural materials available and are considered important in perfumery. In the past honeysuckle absolute produced commercially in small quantities was used in deluxe fragrances. The advent of aromatic chemicals enabled the perfumer to develop synthetic compounds, which are now used in perfumery.
Origin, Production and Composition
Honeysuckle, Lonicera caprifolium L., originated in Asia Minor. Another species of honeysuckle is Lonicera gigantea L. (family Caprifoliaceae). A number of different species of Lonicera are growing wild or are cultivated in many countries of the world.
Lonicera caprifolium L. and Lonicera gigantea L. were used in the past to obtain the flower oil. The latter was extracted in South France with petroleum ether and yielded 0.33 percent of a concrete which on treatment with alcohol gave 23.8 percent of a viscous olive-green absolute. The steam distilled oil of this absolute was a yellowish liquid and its yield was nine percent.
