The tuberose, Polianthes tuberosa L., is
a tuberous perennial plant with a waxy, luminous
white flower in the family Agavaceae. Its flower
odor is very sweet, floral and honey-like and can
help give emotional strength and center the mind.
It is known to improve an individual’s capacity
for emotional depth and can stimulate the right
side of the brain and bring serenity to the mind
and heart. It also contains anti-inflammatory and
antispasmodic properties (Maliga, 2003).
Tuberose flowers have long been used
in perfumery as a source of essential oils and aroma
compounds. These aromatics are synthesized in
various plant organelles and as plant protection
against herbivores and infection, as well as to
attract pollinators (Dudareva and Negre, 2005).
At present, the demand for volatile oil is
expanding. Essential oils can be extracted using a
variety of methods, such as hydro distillation and
solvent extraction, although some are not
commonly used today, such as cold and hot
enfleurage extraction (Maliga, 2003).
The objectives of this work were to use
tuberose flowers to compare the scent, percentage
oil yield and chemical component of tuberose
absolutes obtained by cold or hot enfleurage
extraction and by solvent extraction using hexane
or petroleum ether.