Opoponax EO

Latin name :

Commiphora erythraea

Botanical profile :

Opoponax is the resin of a tree of the Burseraceae family and the genus Commiphora.

Geographic origin :

Opoponax trees originate from Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Middle East, where they are still grown.

Chemotypes :

The genus Commiphora regroups 190 species. In perfumery, Commiphora myrrha is also cultivated, and corresponds to myrrh resinoid or myrrh EO, also grown in East Africa but with a spicier and reminiscent smell of plastic.

Extraction process :

As for myrrh, the resin secretion of the opoponax tree is provoked to let the resin tears flow down the bark of the tree. Once dry, these tears are collected with a blade and freed from their impurities by filtration. After that, they are exported to Europe to be extracted.
An essential oil and a resinoid can be obtained. The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the resin, under high pressure. Aromatic compounds are brought to a condensor, to settle the essential oil in a florentine flask, over water.
Opoponax Resinoid is obtained by diluting the tree resin in cold alcohol and after filtration and evaporation of the solvent. It is also possible to obtain a supercritical CO₂ extract of myrrh with a superior olfactory quality.
The resinoid may be bleached by distillation.

Major Components :

Elemene
Capene
Sesquiterpenes and furanic sesquiterpenones