A Simple Process for Asarone free Acorus Calamus Oil

Details of present/Existing Technology. Shortfall / Technological gaps in the existing technology

Acorus calamus L. (family Araceae) is a well known medicinal plant. Its essential oil is being used for many years by perfumery and pharmaceutical industries. However, its oil has now been prohibited in flavour, perfumery and pharmaceutical industries due to high percentage of toxic beta-asarone present mainly in tetraploid and hexaploid strains of Acorus calamus found mostly in the Asian belt. However, separation ofb -asarone from calamus rhizomes (americanus var.) by supercritical extraction or by raising plants on alkaline soil has been developed but these methods have not lowered the percentage of high beta-asarone (70 to 90%) found in tetraploid and hexaploid varieties

Approach adopted in new technology to evade technological gap in the exiting one

A simple chemical process has been developed to make asarone free calamus oil.

Advantages

There are several benefits such as (a) economical gain for calamus oil of tetraploid and hexaploid strains (b) asarone free calamus oil has sweet, spicy and fruity smell which can be used in the area of flavour and pharmaceutical industries.

Brief Description

Acorus calamus (family : Araceae) commonly known as "sweet flag", is a perennial plant. It grows worldwide wildly along swamps, rivers and lakes. It is also cultivated in many countries because of demand of its essential oil in flavour, perfumery and pharmaceutical industries. However, Acorus calamus oil, obtained from tetraploid and hexaploid strains (distributed extensively in Asian countries) has been recently proved to be toxic and carcinogenic due to beta-asarone. As a result, calamus oil produced in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Japan and China where percentage of beta-asarone is in the range of 70 to 90% has diminished the market potential of this oil while calamus produced from diploid strains in North America are asarone free. Similarly, calamus produced from triploid strains in Europe contain beta-asarone upto 8%, therefore, diploid and triploid strains are still allowed for clinical effectiveness and safety. To solve the problem of beta-asarone in calamus oil of tetraploid and hexaploid strains, a simple technology is urgently needed.

Applications

Food and Pharmaceutical industries
Flavour, perfumery and pharmaceutical industries

Patenting Details: A patent on asarone free oil has been filed in USA (patent No. 09/652, 376 filed on Aug. 31, 2000)

Technology Transfer Assistance Offered: Know-how

Contact for more information:

Director
Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology
Post Box No.6 Palampur
Himachal Pradesh - 176 061
India