About the Book
Aromatic plants possess odorous volatile substances which occur as essential oil, gum exudate, balsam and oleoresin in one or more parts, namely, root, wood, bark, stem, foliage, flower and fruit. The characteristic aroma is due to a variety of complex chemical compounds. The term essential oil is concomitant to fragrance or perfumes because these fragrances are oily in nature and they represent the essence or the active constituents of the plants. They are called volatile or ethereal oils as they evaporate when exposed to air at ordinary temperatures. Essential oils are highly concentrated, low volume, high value products. An essential oil is an organic liquid, which is extracted from plant material. Because it is volatile (able to react), it emits an aroma when exposed to air, which is accentuated when warmth accelerates the evaporation of aromatic molecules. The arrangement of the chapters is aimed to describe the fundamental and basic issues of aromatic ad essential plants. The book provides information on various aspects of Aromatic and essential plants.
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