EU and US Natural Methyl Cinnamate ex. Alpinia Malaccensis Oil
Alpinia malaccensis or locally known as “malacca or laja gowah” is one of the 230 species of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). Alpinia is the largest, most wide spread and most taxonomically complex genus in the ginger family throughout tropical and sub- tropical countries [1]. Laja gowah has been used as a medicinal plant by the people of Indonesia, where its rhizome can be used as medicine for ulcers, wound care, and stomachache. It is known that the main content of laja gowah essential oil is methyl cinnamate, cineol, and α-pinene, and this oil can be obtained from steam distillation. Laja gowah essential oil is one of Indonesia’s newly developed essential oil commodities with promising business prospects, because of its methyl cinnamate content [2].
Methyl cinnamate itself is known as a methyl ester of cinnamic acid and is one of the major volatile components of strawberry aroma produced and released during fruit maturation [3]. The molecular formula is C10H10O2 with molecular weight of 162.185 g/mol and density of 1.092 g/cm3. The use of methyl cinnamate is very wide, it is stated that the worldwide use by several regions can reach up to 10-100 metric tons per annum. It is commonly used in many applications as an ingredient in decorative cosmetics and fine fragrances, shampoo, toilet soaps, other toiletries, household cleaners and detergents [4]. Besides, methyl cinnamate is generally recognized as safe (GRAS), it may also be potentially used as a food additive or flavoring agent [3].
Produced from steam distillation of its rhizome part, the methyl cinnamate can be purified from crystallization and form a white solid powder with odor and flavor description like sweet-balsam-strawberry-cinnamon. The methyl cinnamate produced and isolated from Alpinia malaccensis or laja gowah can be classified as EU and US natural, hence it has a much higher value than the synthetic methyl cinnamate obtained from chemical esterification. Besides from the rhizome, laja gowah essential oil can be extracted from leaves and bark by the same method, and yielded 0.7% from bark and 0.25% from leaves, while it yields higher in rhizome (1.22%) [5].
PT Mitra Ayu manufactures EU and US Natural Methyl Cinnamate from steam distillation followed by crystallization of Alpinia oil (Alpinia malaccensis).
For more information about Natural Methyl Cinnamate, please contact us at info@ptmitraayu.com or send us a message here.
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