Perfume antimicrobial properties

Propyl gallate has become widely used as an antioxidant in cosmetics, perfumes, foods, and pharmaceuticals since its use in preventing autoxidation of oils was first described in 1943. It is primarily used, in concentrations up to 0.1% w/v, to prevent the rancidity of oils and fats it may also be used at concentrations of 0.002% w/v to prevent peroxide formation in ether, and at 0.01% w/v to prevent the oxidation of paraldehyde. Synergistic effects with other antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene have been reported. Propyl gallate is also said to possess some antimicrobial properties see Section 10. 

Until the mid-nineteenth century, the only raw materials available to perfumers for creating fragrances were the extracts of plants and a few animal materials such as musk and civet. The most important raw materials were the flower scents. It is not surprising that Grasse, the center of the fragrance industry in the nineteenth century, was also the center of flower cultivation in France. The scent of the flower is from the so-called essential oils. These oils are composed of molecules that have a molecular weight below 400 and sufficient vapor pressure at ambient temperature to volatilize. The essential oils can occur in several parts of the plant and their usefulness to the plant is varied. For example, flowers use scent to attract insects to pollinate them, and oils found in the roots and barks of plants often have antimicrobial properties, thought to be part of the plant s defense mechanism. 

Thymus vulgaris L. (Thyme) The main component of the essential oil (2.3 %) of partially dried leaves of thyme grown in Kenya was thymol. Thyme oil from other countries is reported to contain thymol (up to 85%) and p-cymene (up to 45%). Thyme is used as a spice due to its apetite stimulating and digestion promotion properties. The oil has strong antimicrobial activity and is also used in the liqueur industiy and as a perfume in soaps, deodorants and hair lotions (34). 

Different t)q)es of industries can make use of oleoresins from pines pharmaceutical and perfume industries, food additives, and other chemical industries (household cleaning products, paints, inks, varnishes, rubber, insecticides, aromatherapy). These various uses are due to their pleasant fragrance [140,141], antimicrobial activity, among various other physical and biological properties. Examples of different terpenes obtained from pine oleoresin and their importance in distinct industrial segments are listed in Table 136.4. 

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