Ravensara aromatica is a member of the Lauraceae

Lauraceae

The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...

 (laurel) family, and originates in Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

. The name ravensara is a latinization of the Malagasy

Malagasy language

Malagasy is the national language of Madagascar, a member of the Austronesian family of languages. Most people in Madagascar speak it as a first language as do some people of Malagasy descent elsewhere.-History:...

 word . Other Malagasy names include , and . The leaves and twigs of R. aromatica have a mildly camphorous aroma similar to eucalyptus

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...

. The essential oil

Essential oil

An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove...

 of R. aromatica is used as a fragrance material in the perfumery industry, and as an antiseptic

Antiseptic

Antiseptics are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction...

, anti-viral, antibacterial, expectorant, anti-infective in natural and folk medicine

Folk medicine

-Description:Refers to healing practices and ideas of body physiology and health preservation known to a limited segment of the population in a culture, transmitted informally as general knowledge, and practiced or applied by anyone in the culture having prior experience.All cultures and societies...

.

Essential oil

Primary aromatic components are:

• limonene
  Limonene
  Limonene is a colourless liquid hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic terpene. The more common D isomer possesses a strong smell of oranges. It is used in chemical synthesis as a precursor to carvone and as a renewably-based solvent in cleaning products....
  
   19.38%
• sabinene
  Sabinene
  Sabinene is a natural bicyclic monoterpene with the molecular formula C10H16. It is isolated from the essential oils of a variety of plants including holm oak and Norway spruce...
  
   11.40%
• methyl chavicol 7.94%
• α-pinene 5.55%
• linalool 5.26%
• methyl eugenol
  Eugenol
  Eugenol is a phenylpropene, an allyl chain-substituted guaiacol. Eugenol is a member of the phenylpropanoids class of chemical compounds. It is a clear to pale yellow oily liquid extracted from certain essential oils especially from clove oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, basil and bay leaf. It is slightly...
  
   5.00%
• germacrene
  Germacrene
  Germacrenes are a class of volatile organic hydrocarbons, specifically, sesquiterpenes. Germacrenes are typically produced in a number plant species for their antimicrobial and insecticidal properties, though they also play a role as insect pheromones...
  
   d 4.76%
• terpinen-4-ol
  Terpinen-4-ol
  Terpinen-4-ol is a terpene with a molecular weight of 154.249.It is considered the primary active ingredient of tea tree oil. It is also the compound of highest concentration in the essential oil of nutmeg.-Additional images:...
  
   4.00%
• e-caryophyllene
  Caryophyllene
  Caryophyllene , or -β-caryophyllene, is a natural bicyclic sesquiterpene that is a constituent of many essential oils, especially clove oil, the oil from the stems and flowers of Syzygium aromaticum , the essential oil of hemp Cannabis sativa, rosemary Rosmarinus oficinalis, and hops...
  
   3.54%
• δ-3-carene
  Carene
  Carene, or delta-3-carene, is a bicyclic monoterpene which occurs naturally as a constituent of turpentine, with a content as high as 42% depending on the source. Carene has a sweet and pungent odor. It is not soluble in water, but miscible with fats and oils....
  
   3.52%
• myrcene 3.43%
• α-terpinene 2.98%
• β-pinene 2.91%
• γ-terpinene
  Terpinene
  The terpinenes are three isomeric hydrocarbons that are classified as terpenes. They each have the same molecular formula and carbon framework, but they differ in the position of carbon-carbon double bonds. α-Terpinene has been isolated from cardamom and marjoram oils, and from other natural...
  
   2.15%
• α-phellandrene
  Phellandrene
  Phellandrene is the name for a pair of organic compounds that have a similar molecular structure and similar chemical properties. α-Phellandrene and β-phellandrene are cyclic monoterpenes and are double-bond isomers. In α-phellandrene, both double bonds are endocyclic and in β-phellandrene, one...
  
   1.99%
• camphene
  Camphene
  Camphene is bicyclic monoterpene. It is nearly insoluble in water, but very soluble in common organic solvents. It volatilizes readily at room temperature and has a pungent smell. It is a minor constituent of many essential oils such as turpentine, cypress oil, camphor oil, citronella oil,...
  
   1.33%
• (z)-β-ocimene 1.30%
• α-thujene
  Thujene
  Thujene is a natural organic compound classified as a monoterpene. It is found in the essential oils of a variety of plants, and contributes pungency to the flavor of some herbs such as Summer savory....
  
   1.13%
• 1,8-cineole 1.08%
• para-cymene
  Cymene
  Cymene, or p-cymene, is a naturally occurring aromatic organic compound. It is classified as a hydrocarbon related to a monoterpene. Its structure consists of a benzene ring para-substituted with a methyl group and an isopropyl group...
  
   0.97%
• α-humulene 0.79%
• α-copaene
  Copaene
  Copaene, or more precisely, α-copaene, is the common chemical name of an oily liquid hydrocarbon that is found in a number of essential oil-producing plants. The name is derived from that of the resin-producing tropical copaiba tree, Copaifera langsdorfii, from which the compound was first...
  
   0.69%
• β-elemene
  Elemene
  Elemenes are a group of closely related natural chemical compounds found in a variety of plants. The elemenes, which include α-, β-, γ-, and δ-elemene, are structural isomers of each other and are classified as sesquiterpenes...
  
   0.63%
• δ-cadinene
  Cadinene
  Cadinene is the trivial chemical name of a number of isomeric hydrocarbons that occur in a wide variety of essential oil-producing plants. The name is derived from that of the Cade juniper , the wood of which yields an oil from which cadinene isomers were first isolated.Chemically, the cadinenes...
  
   0.60%
• terpinolene 0.56%
• δ-elemene
  Elemene
  Elemenes are a group of closely related natural chemical compounds found in a variety of plants. The elemenes, which include α-, β-, γ-, and δ-elemene, are structural isomers of each other and are classified as sesquiterpenes...
  
   0.55%
• α-cubebene 0.47%
• α-terpineol
  Terpineol
  Terpineol is a naturally occurring monoterpene alcohol that has been isolated from a variety of sources such as cajuput oil, pine oil, and petitgrain oil. There are three isomers, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-terpineol, the last two differing only by the location of the double bond...
  
   0.38%
• α-guaiene
  Guaiene
  Guaienes are a series of closely related natural chemical compounds that have been isolated from a variety of plant sources. The guaienes are sesquiterpenes with the molecular formula C15H24. α-Guaiene is the most common and was first isolated from guaiac wood oil from Bulnesia sarmientoi...
  
   0.37%
• bornyl acetate 0.36%
• elemol 0.34%
• elemicin
  Elemicin
  Elemicin is a phenylpropene, a natural organic compound, and is a constituent of the essential oil of nutmeg.Elemicin is also a minor constituent of the oleoresin and essential oil of Manila elemi...
  
   0.23%
• γ-muurolene 0.22%
• borneol
  Borneol
  Borneol is a bicyclic organic compound and a terpene. The hydroxyl group in this compound is placed in an endo position.Borneol is easily oxidized to the ketone yielding camphor. One historical name for borneol is Borneo camphor which explains the name. Borneol can be synthesized by reduction of...
  
   0.21%
• bicyclogermacrene 0.20%
• γ-cadinene 0.19%
• (e)-β-ocimene 0.19%
• β-cubebene 0.16%
• eugenol
  Eugenol
  Eugenol is a phenylpropene, an allyl chain-substituted guaiacol. Eugenol is a member of the phenylpropanoids class of chemical compounds. It is a clear to pale yellow oily liquid extracted from certain essential oils especially from clove oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, basil and bay leaf. It is slightly...
  
   0.12%
• α-muurolene 0.11%
• δ-amorphene 0.10%
• α-eudesmol 0.10%
• cis-para-menth-2-en-1-ol 0.10%
• ortho-cymene 0.09%
• β-selinene 0.09%
• β-bourbonene 0.08%
• trans-cadina-1,4-diene 0.08%
• trans-para-menth-2-en-1-ol 0.08%
• cis-sabinene hydrate 0.08%
• trans-sabinene hydrate 0.08%
• caryophyllene oxide 0.07%
• β-copaene 0.07%
• germacrene b 0.07%
• cis-muurola-3,5-diene 0.07%
• trans-cadina-1(6),4-diene 0.06%
• γ-eudesmol 0.06%
• β-eudesmol 0.05%
• guaiol 0.05%