Progress in Essential Oils: Rhododendron Anthopogon Oil

The genus Rhododendron is a member of the Ericaceae family. Most species are found in their natural habitat in the Himalayan region of Southeast Asia and Melanesia (Popescu and Kopp, 2013). Rhododendron anthopogon Maxim. (known as balu, or sunpat, in Nepalese) grows as a shrub on the open slopes of the Himalayas in northern India, Bhutan and, particularly, Nepal. An oil produced by steam or steam and water distillation from the fragrant leaves and flowers is produced annually in amounts of 250–450 kg. A summary of the published information reveals that the oil has not been the subject of much study.

Using GC/MS as their only method of analysis, Yonzon et al. (2005) analyzed a commercially available oil of R. anthopogon that was produced by steam distillation of the aerial parts.

Click to download the complete article.

More in Ingredients