Ali Almasirad, Yaghoob Amanzadeh and Ali Taheri and Mehrdad Iranshahi

Abstract: Composition of a historical rose oil sample was investigated by GC and GC/MS. Forty-five components representing 95.5% composition of the essential oil were identified. The main components of this oil were citronellol (25.1%), geraniol (11.8%) and nonadecane (13.4%). The composition of the oil was compared with those of Turkish and Bulgarian rose oils and rose water.

Every year around the villages of Ghamsar and Niasar, 500 metric tons of roses are harvested, distilled and turned into rose water and rose oil. Also, Kashan is famous for its annual harvest of roses (in the middle two weeks of May) from which rosewater and rose oil are made. The plant (Rosa damascena Miller), probably a hybrid, native to Asia Minor, is cultivated in many countries such as Turkey, Bulgaria, India, Morocco and Iran (1). It is generally accepted that there are more than 5,000 varieties of roses, yet only a few of them exhibit that marked fragrance that is sought by perfumeries. The essential oil is obtained by water distillation from the fresh flowers of Rosa damascena Miller (2). Petals and the obtained rose water are mild laxatives and were used in folklore for the treatment of constipation in pediatrics and geriatrics (3). Also, rose oil is extensively used in perfumery. Rose oil mainly contains citronellol, geraniol, nerol, methyl eugenol, 2-phenylethyl alcohol, linalool and in addition alkanes and alkenes (1,4-7). From the sensory point of view, various minor constituents such as the rose oxides, β-damascenone and β-damascone contribute significantly to the characteristic odor of true rose oil (1). In this research a historical rose oil sample (more than fifty years old) was analyzed and its composition compared to those of Turkish and Bulgarian rose oils and rose water.