Citronella Ceylan EO

Latin name :

Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle

Botanical profile :

Citronella is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Poaceae family and the cymbopogon genus, like lemongrass and palmarosa essential oils.

Geographic origin :

Originally from India and Sri Lanka, Cymbopogon citratus is now grown in West India, Sri Lanka, Java Island, Guatemala and China among other countries in Southeast Asia and Africa.

Chemotypes :

The genus Cymbopogon (the latin name is coming from the Greek kymbe, meaning boat, and pogon, meaning beard) includes nearly 60 species. Below is a list of the species used in perfumery.
Citronellas:
• Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle - Citronella Ceylan EO, mainly found in Sri Lanka
• Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt - Citronella Java EO, mainly found in Indonesia
• Cymbopogon pendulus - Citronella Jammu EO, mainly found in India
Lemongrass:
• Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf - West Indian lemongrass EO
• Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud.) W. Watson - East Indian lemongrass EO
Palmarosa:
• Cymbopogon martinii (Roxb.) J.F. Wats. - Palmarosa EO, mainly found in India, Indonesia, and Brazil. Its scent is more rosy than the other species, notably due to its high concentration of geraniol.

Extraction process :

The annual production of lemongrass grass is 1000 tons, covering 16 000 hectares of land around the world.
Lemongrass can grow in altitude on well-drained soil and in warm regions. The lemongrass fields are organized in rows, where the plants are separated by a few tens of centimetres. Seeds cultivation to perpetuate a crop is done between January and February. The seeds are planted in April and May.
To boost the extraction yield, it is preferable to promote the growth of the plant. Also, the addition of chemical substances such as an Indole-Acetic Acid or Indole-Butyric Acid complex on the crops increases the level of essential oil in the plant.
After four to five months cultivation, when four or five leaves are fully open, the roots of the plant are hand grown. They are trimmed to keep the root from the white end to the green stem, with its long green leaves. The next crop can take place 60 to 90 days later and the number of crops per year does not exceed four or five. The plant is dried and inserted whole in the extractor. After a steam distillation under high pressure, the essential oil is collected in an essencier by decantation. About 30kg of lemongrass is needed to obtain 1kg of essential oil. Often, the oil is distilled again under vacuum to remove colouring and impurities.
The essential oil must be stored in metal or aluminium containers. It should be kept in a cool place and protected from light.
An oleoresin can be obtained by submitting the plant to a volatile solvent extraction.
This extract has a much better yield as it is of more than 10%. Methanol is the best solvent for this plant extraction.

Major Components :

Geraniol (15 - 23%)
D-Limonene (7 - 11,5%)
Methyl eugenol (7 - 11%)
Camphene (7 - 10%)
Borneol (4 - 7%)
Citronellol (3 - 8,5%)
Citronellal (3 - 6%)