Raw Material Introduction｜Geranium

▎Essential Oil Introduction

Geranium (Pelargonium), also known as the "poor man's rose" or "mosquito plant," is a perennial herbaceous plant that can grow to about 1 meter in height. There are around 700 varieties of geraniums available, with many being ornamental. Only a few varieties are notable for essential oil extraction, including Bourbon Geranium (Pelargonium asperum) and Rose Geranium (Pelargonium roseum).

The genus name "Pelargonium" comes from the Greek word "palargos," meaning "crane," because the shape of the seeds resembles a crane's beak. Bourbon Geranium, native to Southern Europe, is named after Bourbon in central France. Today, the primary producers of Bourbon Geranium are North Africa and Egypt, with the highest quality coming from Réunion Island in East Africa.

▎Component Analysis

｜Main component: Monoterpenol

Geranium from Réunion Island typically contains key components such as citronellol, geraniol, R(-)-linalool, iso-menthone, γ-eudesmol, geranyl formate, and cis-rose oxide in trace amounts. Bourbon Geranium also includes aldehydes like neral, geranial, and citral.

	Algeria	China	Egypt	Morocco	La Réunion
Isomenthone	5.38	5.70	5.39	5.20	7.20
Linalool	5.26	3.96	9.47	6.80	12.90
Citronellyl formate	7.57	11.35	6.74	6.02	8.37
Geranyl formate	5.90	1.92	4.75	6.55	7.55
Citronellol	22.90	40.23	27.40	19.28	21.28
Geraniol	17.07	6.45	18.00	18.40	17.45
10-Epi-γ-Eudesmol	4.20	-	4.00	5.10	-

｜Component 1: Citronellol

Also known as "Geraniol", with the molecular formula C₁₀H₂₀O, it appears as a clear, colorless liquid with a sweet, rosy aroma. Chemically, it can be classified into "R-(+)-Geraniol", commonly found in essential oils from plants like geranium, citronella, and lemon, and "S-(-)-Geraniol", typically present in essential oils from roses and geraniums.

｜Component 2: Geraniol

This is trans-Geraniol, also known as citronellol. It has a rose-like fragrance and is primarily found in essential oils from citronella and rose plants. Its main applications include serving as a key sweetener in perfumes, an important ingredient for mimicking rose scent, and a component in edible flavoring. It is known for its strong antifungal properties and its ability to suppress herpes simplex virus activity.

In acidic solutions, geraniol can be converted into the cyclic monoterpene α-pinene. Geraniol, after dehydroxylation, derives the geranyl group (also known as the geranyl radical). Geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP) and geranyl-geranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) are crucial intermediates in the cholesterol biosynthesis process. When heated in the presence of copper catalysts, geraniol can rearrange to form citronellal, which can be further reduced to citronellol.

｜Component 3: Linalool

Linalool is widely used in the perfume industry, particularly for creating floral fragrances. It exists in three optical forms: left-handed, right-handed, and racemic, each with slightly different scents. It can be used as a fragrance and as a raw material for synthesizing Vitamin E and Vitamin K.

｜Component 4: Iso-menthone

｜Raw Material Certifications

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▎References

1. Srinivasan S, Muruganathan U. Antidiabetic efficacy of citronellol, a ctirus monoterpene by ameliorating the hepatic key enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Chem Biol Interact. 2016; 250:38-46.
2. Budzyńska A et al. Enzymatic profile, adhesive and invasive properties of Candida albicans under the influence of selected plant essential oils. Acta Biochim Pol. 2014;61(1):115-21. Epub 2014 Mar 19.
3. Aromatic Pelargoniums - Arnoldia - Harvard University
4. Khan A, Ahmad A, Xess I, Khan LA, Manzoor N. Ocimum sanctum essential oil inhibits virulence attributes in Candida albicans.Phytomedicine. 2014 Mar 15;21(4):448-52. 
5. Khan A, Ahmad A, Khan LA, Manzoor N. Ocimum sanctum (L.) essential oil and its lead molecules induce apoptosis in Candida albicans.Res Microbiol. 2014 Jul-Aug;165(6):411-9. 
6. Nurhayat Tabanca et al. Bioactivity-Guided Investigation of Geranium Essential Oils as Natural Tick Repellents. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2013, 61, 17, 4101-4107
7. Shaimaa Awadain Elsharif, Andrea Buettner. Influence of the chemical structure on the odor characters of β-citronellol and its oxygenated derivatives. Food Chemistry 2017, 232, 704-711. 
8. Betul Demirci, et al. Rhanterium epapposum Oliv. essential oil: Chemical composition and antimicrobial, insect-repellent and anticholinesterase activities. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal 2017, 25 (5) , 703-708. 
9. K. Ghedira, P. Goetz. Géranium rosat : Pelargonium graveolens L’Hér. (Géraniaceae). Phytothérapie 2015, 13 (3) , 197-201. 
10. Ait Ali, M; Allaoud, S; Karim, A; Roucoux, A; Mortreux, A. Catalytic Synthesis of (R) and (S) citronellol by homogeneous hydrogenation over amidophosphinephosphinite and diaminodiphosphine rhodium complexes. Tetrahedron: Asymmetry. 1995, 6 (2): 369. 
11. Taylor WG, Schreck CE. Chiral-phase capillary gas chromatography and mosquito repellent activity of some oxazolidine derivatives of (+)- and (−)-citronellol. J Pharm Sci. 1985, 74 (5): 534–539.
12. Revay, Edita E.; Kline, Daniel L.; Xue, Rui-De; Qualls, Whitney A.; Bernier, Ulrich R.; Kravchenko, Vasiliy D.; Ghattas, Nina; Pstygo, Irina; Müller, Günter C. Reduction of mosquito biting-pressure: Spatial repellents or mosquito traps? A field comparison of seven commercially available products in Israel. Acta Tropica. 2013, 127 (1): 63–8. 
13. Songkro, Sarunyoo; Hayook, Narissara; Jaisawang, Jittarat; Maneenuan, Duangkhae; Chuchome, Thitima; Kaewnopparat, Nattha. Investigation of inclusion complexes of citronella oil, citronellal and citronellol with β-cyclodextrin for mosquito repellent. Journal of Inclusion Phenomena and Macrocyclic Chemistry. 2011, 72 (3–4): 339

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