Enzymatic modification of palmarosa essential oil: chemical analysis and olfactory evaluation of acylated products.

We have developed an enzymatic protocol to modify the composition of palmarosa essential oil by acylation of its alcohol components by three different acyl donors at various rates. The resulting modified products were characterized by qualitative and quantitative analyses by gas chromatography, and their olfactory properties were evaluated by professional perfumers. We showed that our protocol resulted in two types of modifications of the olfactory properties.

Model study of the enzymatic modification of natural extracts: peroxidase-based removal of eugenol from rose essential oil.

A protocol based on the use of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is proposed for the removal of allergenic eugenol from rose essential oil without loss of the organoleptic quality and with a good conservation of the chemical composition. For the first time, an enzyme-based strategy is proposed for essential oils treatment and opens new opportunities in the detoxification of natural extracts used in perfumery and cosmetics. Our results on eugenol in rose essential oil constitute a first step toward the development of efficient and mild processes for the removal of more toxic compounds of natural extracts.