CCAP Essential Oil Chemistry Flashcards

Monoterpenes such as limonene and pinene are volatile at room temperature primarily because they:

Answer: Have low molecular weight and high vapor pressure

Monoterpenes evaporate quickly due to their small molecular size and high vapor pressure, which is why they are top notes in aromatherapy blends.

Which process is used to extract most steam-distilled essential oils from plant material?

Answer: Steam or hydro-distillation

Steam or hydro-distillation passes steam through plant material, volatilizing aromatic constituents that are then condensed and separated from the hydrosol.

Furanocoumarins in bergamot essential oil (e.g., bergapten) are clinically significant because they cause:

Answer: Photosensitivity and phototoxicity when skin is exposed to UV light

Furanocoumarins are phototoxic compounds that react with UV radiation to cause skin burns, hyperpigmentation, or blistering — requiring a bergapten-free version for topical use.

A clinical aromatherapist reviews a GC/MS report showing an unusually high percentage of an unexpected constituent. This most likely indicates:

Answer: Possible adulteration or contamination of the oil

Unexpected high percentages of atypical constituents on a GC/MS report are a key indicator of adulteration — the addition of synthetic or foreign substances to the essential oil.

What is a 'chemotype' (ct.) in essential oil terminology?

Answer: A variant of the same plant species with a distinctly different chemical profile

A chemotype refers to plants of the same species grown in different regions or conditions that produce essential oils with significantly different dominant chemical constituents.

Ketones in essential oils, such as camphor and pulegone, require special caution because they can be:

Answer: Neurotoxic and potentially abortifacient at high doses

Ketones can be neurotoxic and some (like pulegone in pennyroyal) are abortifacient, requiring careful dosing and avoidance in pregnancy, infants, and seizure disorders.