Ulje elemija

The tree and its resin

Canarium luzonicum is a large evergreen tree of the family Burseraceae, growing to a maximum height of about 30 m. The tree grows in primary forests at low and medium elevations on Luzon and some other Philippine islands. It bears thick-shelled nuts with edible kernels. When fresh, the oleoresin is oily and pale yellow or greenish, and its consistency resembles crystallized honey. On exposure to air it loses some of its volatile constituents and hardens. The resin has a balsamic odour and a spicy, rather bitter taste. In the forest areas where it is collected, the resin is rolled in leaves and used for lighting. Today the word elemi almost always means Manila elemi, the product of the Philippines, which is the only one traded internationally.

Chemistry

The major components of elemi oil are limonene (40-72%), phellandrene (10-24%) and the sesquiterpene alcohol elemol (1-25%). Other constituents named include elemicin, terpineol, carvone and terpinolene. One of the resin components is called amyrin. Elemicin is named after Canarium luzonicum, one of whose vernacular names is elemi. In high doses elemicin can cause irritation, and its concentration in cosmetics does not exceed 1%. The high content of unstable monoterpenes tends to form peroxides, and heating the oil may present a hazard of explosion. On storage the oil tends to resinify and polymerize, and its odor can become disagreeable.

Trade and other uses

Three classes of Manila elemi exist for domestic and export trade, although the designations are not always adhered to. Class I represents the palest material, class II a more yellowish material, and class III a mixture of I and II. Prices for elemi fluctuate more than for most other resins. In the 1990s, 500 tonnes of elemi resin were collected per year, and the quantity has dropped to 150-200 tonnes per year. The resin still finds occasional use in lacquers and varnishes, where it gives toughness and elasticity to the dried film.

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Related: Frankincense · Frankincense Oil · Olibanum Frankincense · Olibanum Resinoid · Olibanum Sacra Resin Green