CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Perfume is a fragrant liquid made from an extract that has been distilled in

alcohol and water.

Since the beginning of recorded history humans have attempted to mask or

enhance their own odor by using perfume which emulates nature's pleasant

smells. Many natural and man-made materials have been used to make perfume to

apply to the skin and clothing to put in cleaners and cosmetics or to scent the air.

Because of differences in body chemistry temperature and body odors no

perfume will smell exactly the same on any two people.

Perfume comes from the Latin "per" meaning "through" and "fume" or "smoke."

Many ancient perfumes were made by extracting natural oils from plants through

pressing and steaming. The oil was then burned to scent the air. Today most

perfume is used to scent bar soaps. Some products are even perfumed with

industrial odorants to mask unpleasant smells or to appear "unscented."

While fragrant liquids used for the body are often considered perfume true

perfumes are defined as extracts or essences and contain a percentage of oil

distilled in alcohol.

A perfume is composed of three notes. The base note is what a fragrance will

smell like after it has dried. The smell that develops after the perfume has mixed

with unique body chemistry is referred to as the middle note. And the top note is

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the first smell experienced in an aroma. Each perfumery has a preferred perfume

manufacturing process but there are some basic steps. The notes unfold over time

with the immediate impression of the top note leading to the deeper middle notes

and the base notes gradually appearing as the final stage. These notes are created

carefully with knowledge of the evaporation process of the perfume. The top note

consists of small light molecules that evaporate quickly. The middle note forms the

heart of main body of a perfume and act to mask the often unpleasant initial

impression of base notes.

Traditionally perfumes were made from plant and animal substances and

prepared in the form of waters oils unguents powders and incense. This last

method of fragrance gives us our word ‘perfume’ which means ‘to smoke through’.

Most modern perfumes are alcohol-based and contain synthetic scents. While the

term ‘perfume’ usually refers to fragrances in general in the more technical

language of the perfumer a perfume must contain over 15% of fragrance oils in

alcohol.

The preferred fragrances for perfumes are by no means universal but differ

according to cultural dictates and fashions. In the sixteenth century for example

pungent animal scents such as musk and civet were very popular. In the nineteenth

century by contrast such animal scents were generally considered too crude and

light floral fragrances were favored.

Perfumes were held in high esteem and widely employed in the ancient world. The

wealthy would perfume not only the body but their furnishings and their favorite

horses and dogs. On ancient altars perfumes were offered to the gods while in the

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kitchens of antiquity the same scents — Saffron Cinnamon Rose Myrrh — might

be used to flavor food and wine.

Techniques involved in perfume extraction from plants include; solvent

extraction distillation and effleurage method. These methods to a certain extent

distort the odor of the aromatic compounds that are obtained from the raw

materials.

Important thing in relation to perfume making is that there are three key

ingredients you will need to produce perfume:

1. Essential Oils (these have been extracted from various plants (organic or

nonorganic) and when combined give the smell of the perfume you are trying to

produce.

2. Pure Grain Oil

3. Water

1.2 LEMONGRASS

Family: Poaceae (Gramineae) Cymbopogon species

The genus has about 55 species most of which are native to South Asia Southeast

Asia and Australia. Two major types have considerable relevance for commercial

use: East Indian lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus ) is native to India Sri Lanka

Burma and Thailand whereas West Indian lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is

assumed to originate in Malaysia. The plants grow in dense clumps up to 2 meters

in diameter and have leaves up to 1 meter long. Further Cymbopogon martini

(Roxb.) J.F. Watson var. martini which is native to India and cultivated in Java is

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worth mentioning as it also grows in Bhutan and is extracted for palmarosa oil.

Another species with commercial relevance is citronella grass (Cymbopogon

winterianus Jowitt) which also stems from India but is today grown throughout the

tropics.

The reported life zone for lemongrass is 18 to 29 degrees centigrade with an annual

precipitation of 0.7 to 4.1 meters with a soil pH of 5.0 to 5.8 (East Indian) or 4.3 to

8.4 (West Indian). The plants need a warm humid climate in full sun. They grow

well in sandy soils with adequate drainage. Since the plants rarely flower or set

seed propagation is by root or plant division. The plants are harvested

mechanically or by hand about four times each year with the productive

populations lasting between four and eight years Extensive breeding programs

have developed many varieties of lemongrass.

The quality of lemongrass oil is generally determined by the content of citral the

aldehyde responsible for the lemon odor. Some other constituents of the essential

oils are -terpineol myrcene citronellol methyl heptenone dipentene geraniol

limonene nerol and farnesol .West Indian oil differs from East Indian oil in that it is

less soluble in 70 percent alcohol and has a slightly lower citral content.

Lemongrass is used in herbal teas and other nonalcoholic beverages in baked

goods and in confections. Oil from lemongrass is widely used as a fragrance in

perfumes and cosmetics such as soaps and creams. Citral extracted from the oil is

used in flavoring soft drinks in scenting soaps and detergents as a fragrance in

perfumes and cosmetics and as a mask for disagreeable odors in several industrial

products. Citral is also used in the synthesis of ionones used in perfumes and

cosmetics.

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As a medicinal plant lemongrass has been considered a carminative and insect

repellent. West Indian lemongrass is reported to have antimicrobial activity .Oil of

West Indian lemongrass acts as a central nervous system depressant .Oil of East

Indian lemongrass has antifungal activity .The volatile oils may also have some

pesticide and mutagenic activities .Cymbopogon nardus is a source of citronella oil.

Cymbopogon martinii is reportedly toxic to fungi.

1.3 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS

The problem of perfume extraction process is the distortion of the odor of

the aromatic compounds obtained from the raw materials. This is due to heat

harsh solvents and also through the exposure to oxygen which will denature the

aromatic compounds. These will either change their odor character or render them

odorless.

The problem of formulation of perfume involves knowing the proportion in which

essential oil and other materials to be mixed to avoid skin irritation and increase

the intensity and longevity of the perfume.

Most imported perfumes are synthetic odorant which are not pure chemical

substance but are mixture of organic compounds that are harmful when applied.

There are limited perfume plants from which perfume can be made; this can lead

to importation of perfume thereby causing the decline of foreign reserves and

unemployment.

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1.4 OBJECTIVE OF PROJECT

The main objective of this project is to extract and formulate perfume from

Lemon grass (CYMBOPOGON FLEXUOSUS).

1.5 JUSTIFICATION/SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This project focuses on the production of perfumes from natural/plant

sources as against synthetic chemicals thereby will reduce any side effect resulting

from synthetic chemicals.

The success of this work will stimulate the development of the perfume

industry locally because of available cheap raw materials.

More jobs will be created by those that will be engaged in

planting/cultivating of the plant as well as establishing small scale extraction plants.

There will be reduction on the resources spent on importation of lemon grass

fragrance by end users.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE WORK

This project work is on how perfumes are extracted and formulated from

lemongrass. It further entails;

o The synthetic and aromatic sources of perfumes.

o The composition of perfumes and its concentration

o The extraction methods and formulation process involved

o The economic importance of lemongrass and the uses of lemongrass

oil in perfume production process.

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1.7 USES OF PERFUMES

1) The sense of smell is considered a right brain activity which rules emotions

memory and creativity.

2) Perfumes are used to mask body odor.

3) Used to make people feel good

4) To heal and cure physical and emotional problems

5) Perfumes are being revived to help balance hormonal and body energy.

6) It helps to bolster the immune system when inhaled or applied topically.

7) Smelling sweet smells also affects ones mood and can be used as a form of

psychotherapy.

8) Perfumes are being created to duplicate the effect of pheromones and

stimulate sexual arousal receptors in the brain.

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