Vetiveria zizanoides, also known as "vetiver grass" and as "Chrysopogon zizanioides" is a herb that belongs to the Poaceae botanical family .
Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil. The name describes the structure of the molecule:
- Vetiveria Zizanoides refers to the botanical species "Vetiveria Zizanoides", commonly known as vetiver. Vetiver is a perennial grass belonging to the Poaceae family, famous for its long aromatic roots.
- Root indicates that the oil is specifically extracted from the roots of the plant, which are known for their rich, earthy scent.
- Oil refers to the essential oil obtained from the steam distillation of the plant's roots.
Raw Materials and Their Functions
Roots of Vetiveria Zizanoides. The roots of this plant are rich in essential oils with a unique aromatic profile, which includes woody, earthy, and slightly smoky notes.
Industrial Production Process
- Steam Distillation of Vetiveria Zizanoides roots. During this process, steam passes through the roots, extracting the essential oil, which is then condensed and collected.
- Purification. After distillation, the oil is purified to remove any impurities and optimize the quality of the fragrance.
- Quality Control. Vetiveria Zizanoides root oil undergoes quality testing to ensure it meets the required standards in terms of purity, aromatic profile, and chemical properties.
Form and Color
Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil, also known as vetiver oil, is typically a liquid. This essential oil has a color that ranges from light brown to dark brown.
What it is for and where
It is widely used in aromatherapy and as a fragrance ingredient in perfumery for its distinctive, earthy, and woody scent. Vetiver oil is also valued for its calming and relaxing properties, making it popular in wellness and relaxation products. Additionally, it is used in cosmetics and skincare products for its moisturizing and regenerative properties.
Cosmetics
Fragrance. It plays a very important role in the formulation of cosmetic products as it provides the possibility of enhancing, masking or adding fragrance to the final product, increasing its marketability. It is able to create a perceptible pleasant odour, masking a bad smell. The consumer always expects to find a pleasant or distinctive scent in a cosmetic product.
Tonic. This product is used to treat the hair when the scalp is clean or after shampooing. It stimulates hair growth, revitalises the scalp for healthy hair growth and reduces hair loss. It provides a feeling of well-being on skin and hair.
Perfuming. Unlike fragrance, which can also contain slightly less pleasant or characteristic odours, the term perfume indicates only very pleasant fragrances. Used for perfumes and aromatic raw materials.
CAS 8016-96-4 84238-29-9
EC number 282-490-8
Medical
Two bioactive constituents, khusenic acid and khusimol, have been isolated and characterized from the roots of Vetiveria zizanoides. These compounds have shown antimicrobial activity against drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In silico analysis revealed that these compounds have good binding affinity with the bacterial DNA gyrase subunits and a favorable ADME profile, suggesting their potential as therapeutic agents (1).
Other uses
Vetiveria zizanoides, also known as vetiver grass, has been identified as a suitable candidate for the phytoremediation of heavy metals. Studies have investigated arsenic (As) accumulation, translocation, and tolerance in V. zizanoides plants exposed to different concentrations of arsenic. These plants have been found effective in removing As, especially at higher concentrations. The activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), and glutathione s-transferase (GST) increases in response to arsenic-induced oxidative stress, enhancing the plants' tolerance (2).
Another study evaluated the ability of Vetiveria zizanoides to remove antimony and other contaminants (2).
Lastly, the use of Vetiveria zizanoides in the remediation of cyanide soil contamination was examined. The findings indicated that vetiver grass might be useful in cleaning up cyanide-contaminated soils, especially in gold and silver mining sites (3).
