Description
Opopanax is an oleo-gum-resin that oozes through incisions made
on the bark of the tree. The exudate hardens on exposure to air,
forming resinous, tear-shaped, more or less regular lumps approximately
the size of a nut; these are detached from the bark and
used for the manufacture of the essential oil and other derivatives.
The trees are native to Somaliland. Once opopanax resin was
obtained from O. chironium Koch; today the entire production of
resin is obtained from C. erythraea Eng. var. glabrescens.
O. chironium crude resin was offered in the form of regular, tearshaped
lumps of a brilliant red color. They were rather soft, shiny,
and easily groundable. The strong, aromatic odor was reminiscent
of costus and lovage.
The crude oleoresin has a reddish-brown, or sometimes yellowishbrown,
color and sweet, balsamic, slightly spicy odor reminiscent
of myrrh. The material contains 50 to 80% of a water-soluble gum,
15 to 40% alcohol-soluble resin, and 5 to 9% essential oil. The
product is also known as bisabol or sweet myrrh. The adulteration
is readily detectable, since opopanax tears in benzene do not react;
myrrh tears yield a violet color in the presence of bromine vapors.
The oleo-gum-resin exudate is the part used. Opopanax has a fresh,
balsamic odor reminiscent of myrrh.
The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the crude resin
in approximately 3.5 to 10% yields. It is a yellow to greenishyellow
liquid with an intense, warm, balsamic odor. The oil tends
to resinify on exposure to air. Its main constituents include bisabolene
(C15H24) and a mixture of alcohols.
The derivatives are resinoid and resin absolute. The resinoid, prepared
by solvent extraction, is a semisolid mass. To prepare a
pourable product, usually a high-boiling, odorless solvent is added
prior to evaporation of the extractive solvent. The resin absolute
is prepared by direct alcoholic extraction of the crude resin.
Chemical Properties
Opopanax is an oleo-gum resin that oozes through incisions made on the bark of the tree. The exudate hardens on
exposure to air, forming resinous, tear-shaped, more-or-less regular lumps approximately the size of a nut; these are detached
from the bark and used for the manufacture of the essential oil and other derivatives. The trees are native to Somaliland. Once
opopanax resin was obtained from O. chironium Koch; today the entire production of resin is obtained from C. erythraea var.
glabrescens Eng. O. chironium crude resin was offered in the form of regular, tear-shaped lumps of a brilliant red color. They
were rather soft, shiny and easily grindable. The strong, aromatic odor was reminiscent of costus and lovage. The oleo gum-resin
exudate is the part used. Opopanax has a fresh, balsamic odor reminiscent of myrrh. The crude oleoresin has a reddish-brown or
sometimes yellowish-brown color and sweet, balsamic, slightly spicy odor reminiscent of myrrh. The product is also known as
bisabol or sweet myrrh.
