Benzoin resin or
styrax resin is a
balsamBalsam is a term used for various pleasantly scented plant products. These are oily or gummy oleoresins, usually containing benzoic acid or cinnamic acid, obtained from the exudates of various trees and shrubs and used as a base for some botanical medicines...
ic
resinResin is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. It is valued for its chemical constituents and uses, such as varnishes and adhesives, as an important source of raw materials for organic synthesis, or for incense and perfume. Fossilized resins are the source of amber...
obtained from the bark of several species of trees in the genus
StyraxStyrax is a genus of about 130 species of large shrubs or small trees in the family Styracaceae, mostly native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the majority in eastern and southeastern Asia, but also crossing the equator in South America...
. It is used in perfumes, some kinds of incense, and medicine (see
tincture of benzoinTincture of benzoin is a pungent solution of benzoin resin in alcohol. A similar preparation called Friar's Balsam or Compound Benzoin Tincture contains, in addition, Cape aloes and storax ....
). Its principal component is
benzoic acidBenzoic acid, C
7H
6O
2 , is a colorless crystalline solid and the simplest aromatic carboxylic acid. The name derived from gum benzoin, which was for a long time the only source for benzoic acid. This weak acid and its salts are used as a food preservative...
. Commonly called "benzoin", it is called "benzoin resin" here to distinguish it from the crystalline compound
benzoinBenzoin is an organic compound consisting of an ethylene bridge flanked by phenyl groups and with hydroxyl and ketone functional groups. It appears as off-white crystals, with a light camphor odor. Benzoin is synthesized from benzaldehyde in the benzoin condensation.Benzoin is not a constituent of...
. Benzoin resin does
not contain this crystalline compound.
Benzoin is also called
gum benzoin or
gum benjamin, but "gum" is incorrect as benzoin is not a water-soluble
polysaccharidePolysaccharides are polymeric carbohydrate structures, formed of repeating units joined together by glycosidic bonds. These structures are often linear, but may contain various degrees of branching. Polysaccharides are often quite heterogeneous, containing slight modifications of the repeating unit...
.
Benzoin resin or
styrax resin is a
balsamBalsam is a term used for various pleasantly scented plant products. These are oily or gummy oleoresins, usually containing benzoic acid or cinnamic acid, obtained from the exudates of various trees and shrubs and used as a base for some botanical medicines...
ic
resinResin is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. It is valued for its chemical constituents and uses, such as varnishes and adhesives, as an important source of raw materials for organic synthesis, or for incense and perfume. Fossilized resins are the source of amber...
obtained from the bark of several species of trees in the genus
StyraxStyrax is a genus of about 130 species of large shrubs or small trees in the family Styracaceae, mostly native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the majority in eastern and southeastern Asia, but also crossing the equator in South America...
. It is used in perfumes, some kinds of incense, and medicine (see
tincture of benzoinTincture of benzoin is a pungent solution of benzoin resin in alcohol. A similar preparation called Friar's Balsam or Compound Benzoin Tincture contains, in addition, Cape aloes and storax ....
). Its principal component is
benzoic acidBenzoic acid, C
7H
6O
2 , is a colorless crystalline solid and the simplest aromatic carboxylic acid. The name derived from gum benzoin, which was for a long time the only source for benzoic acid. This weak acid and its salts are used as a food preservative...
. Commonly called "benzoin", it is called "benzoin resin" here to distinguish it from the crystalline compound
benzoinBenzoin is an organic compound consisting of an ethylene bridge flanked by phenyl groups and with hydroxyl and ketone functional groups. It appears as off-white crystals, with a light camphor odor. Benzoin is synthesized from benzaldehyde in the benzoin condensation.Benzoin is not a constituent of...
. Benzoin resin does
not contain this crystalline compound.
Benzoin is also called
gum benzoin or
gum benjamin, but "gum" is incorrect as benzoin is not a water-soluble
polysaccharidePolysaccharides are polymeric carbohydrate structures, formed of repeating units joined together by glycosidic bonds. These structures are often linear, but may contain various degrees of branching. Polysaccharides are often quite heterogeneous, containing slight modifications of the repeating unit...
. Its name probably came via
ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...
from
ArabicArabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. In terms of speakers, the Arabic macrolanguage is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as...
lubān jāwī (لبان خاوي, "
frankincenseFrankincense, also called olibanum , is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra , Boswellia frereana, Boswellia bhaw-dajiana...
from Java"), because it was brought from
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
(Reference Shreeram Balijepalli's articles online)
Use
Benzoin resin is a common ingredient in
incenseIncense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term incense refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces....
-making and perfumery because of its vanilla ice-cream aroma and
fixativeA fixative is a stabilizing or preservative agent:*Fixative *Fixation , a solution used to preserve or harden fresh tissue of cell specimens for microscopic examination.*Fixative *embalming chemicals...
properties. Gum benzoin is a major component of the type of church
incenseIncense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term incense refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces....
used in
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and some other
Orthodox ChristianThe Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to in English speaking countries as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the world's second largest Christian communion, estimated to number 225 million members...
societies. Benzoin resin is also used in blended types of
Japanese incenseJapanese incense has a long history. It came to Japan from China, along with Buddhism, in the year 538 CE. From that point on, incense would become an important facet of Japanese culture. Initially, it was only imported from China, until eventually Japan began to make its own...
, Indian incense, Chinese incense, and
Papier d'ArméniePapier d'Arménie, or Armenian Paper, is a room deodorizing product sold as booklets of twelve sheets of paper each cut into three pieces, which are coated with benzoin resin, the dried sap of styrax trees.-History:...
. When called
sambrani or
sambraani, it is a popular
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
n incense used to scent and treat
hairHair is a protein filament that grows through the epidermis from follicles deep within the dermis. The fine, soft hair found on many nonhuman mammals is typically called fur; wool is the characteristically curly hair found on sheep and goats. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the...
and prevent
infectionAn infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host's resources to multiply, usually at the expense of the host. The infecting organism, or pathogen, interferes with the normal functioning of the...
s.
There are two types of benzoin resin used in incense and perfumery, benzoin Siam and benzoin Sumatra. Benzoin Siam is obtained from
Styrax tonkinensis found across Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Benzoin Sumatra is obtained from
Styrax benzoinStyrax benzoin is a species of tree native to Indonesia which is a main source of benzoin resin. It is a common member of the forests of Sumatra, where it grows to about 12 meters in maximum height...
grown on the island of Sumatra. Both varieties are pathogenic resins, which are exuded from the tree when it is damaged.
In perfumery, benzoin is used as a fixative, slowing the dispersion of essential oils and other fragrance materials into the air.
External links
- Aroma of Benzoin
- [Shreeram Balijepalli's articles online in Shakteyem Yahoogroup]