Essential Oil From Pine Needles

Description and Advantages

Philippine researchers of the Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) have developed a process of extracting oil from pine needles.

The process involves the following steps:

• Placing small pieces of fresh pine needles in a clavenger flask
  
• Adding distilled water at a ratio of three parts to one part pine needles (3:1)
  
• Steam distillation of the mixture
  
• Collection of oil in a receiving container
  
• Separating essential oil from aqueous layer of the distillate
  
• Drying oil with anhydrous sodium sulphate

The essential oil yield ranges from 0.33 to 1.81 %. It has the following composition (percent):

Alpha-pinene                                 58.31
Camphere                                      1.75
Beta-Pinene                                    2.38
Myrcene                                         2.01
D-1-limonene                                22.40
1-8 cineole                                      0.27
Alpha phellandrene                          0.86
Lanolin                                            0.16
Bornyl acetate                                 6.73
Caryopphyllin                                  0.19
Borneol                                           2.26
Gamma-octalactone                         0.64

The technology has been pilot-tested.

For more information, Contact:

The Director
Forest Products Research and Development Institute College,
Los Banos 4031 Laguna, Philippines
Tel: (6349) 536-2377; 536-2360
Telefax: (6349) 536-3630

Source: Global Business Oppertunities, May-June 2002