Cajuput oil

Cajeput oil is a volatile oil obtained by distillation from the leaves of the myrtaceous tree Melaleuca leucadendra, and probably other Melaleuca species. The trees yielding the oil are found throughout the Malay archipelago, the Malay Peninsula and over the hotter parts of the Australian continent; but the greater portion of the oil is produced from Sulawesi. The name “cajeput” is derived from its Malay name, “kayu putih” or "white wood".

The oil is prepared from leaves collected on a hot dry day, macerated in water, and distilled after fermenting for a night. This oil is extremely pungent, and has the odor of a mixture of turpentine and camphor. It consists mainly of cineol (see terpenes), from which cajuputene, having a hyacinth-like odor, can be obtained by distillation with phosphorus pentoxide. The drug^{[clarification needed]} is a typical volatile oil, and is used internally in doses of 2 to 3 minims, for the same purposes as, say, clove oil. It is frequently employed externally as a counterirritant. It is an ingredient in some liniments for sore muscles such as Tiger Balm and Indonesian traditional medicine Minyak Telon.

It is also used as an ingredient in inhalants/decongestants and topical pain/inflammation remedies such as Olbas Oil. It is noted for its antiseptic properties, as is its cousin, Tea tree oil. Like Tea tree oil it may have use against resistant staph infections.

See also

• Tea tree oil – derived from Melaleuca alternifolia

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

This botany article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Botany stubs Essential oils Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу Séminaire Nicolas Bourbaki Beire Look at other dictionaries: cajuput oil — noun A volatile oil obtained by distillation from the leaves of the myrtaceous tree Melaleuca leucadendra …   Wiktionary cajuput oil — noun see cajeput oil …   Useful english dictionary cajeput oil, cajuput oil — A volatile oil distilled from the fresh leaves of Cajuputi viridiflora, a tree of tropical Asia and Australia; a stimulant, counterirritant, and expectorant …   Medical dictionary cajuput — [ kadʒəpʌt] (also cajeput) noun 1》 an aromatic medicinal oil resembling eucalyptus oil, obtained from an Australasian tree with papery bark. 2》 the tree from which cajuput oil is obtained. [Melaleuca cajuputi.] Origin C18: from Malay kayu putih,… …   English new terms dictionary Cajuput — Caj u*put, n. [Of Malayan origin; k[=a]yu tree + p[=u]tih white.] (Med.) A highly stimulating volatile inflammable oil, distilled from the leaves of an East Indian tree ({Melaleuca cajuputi}, etc.) It is greenish in color and has a camphoraceous… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English cajuput — [kaj′ə pət] n. 〚Malay kāyūputīh < kāyū, tree + putīh, white〛 an Australian tree (Melaleuca leucadendra) of the myrtle family, with whitish flowers and thick bark, often grown in the extreme S U.S.: its aromatic oil is used in medicine * * * …   Universalium cajuput — [kaj′ə pət] n. [Malay kāyūputīh < kāyū, tree + putīh, white] an Australian tree (Melaleuca leucadendra) of the myrtle family, with whitish flowers and thick bark, often grown in the extreme S U.S.: its aromatic oil is used in medicine …   English World dictionary cajuput — n. plant which yields a greenish aromatic oil and is used in perfumes and medicines (native to Australia and New Guinea); oil distilled from the leaves of the cajuput tree …   English contemporary dictionary cajuput — /ˈkædʒəpʊt / (say kajuhpoot) noun 1. a small tree, Melaleuca cajuputi, found from south eastern Asia to northern Australia. 2. a green oil having a distinctive smell, distilled from the leaves of this tree, used as a stimulant, antispasmodic, and …   cajeput oil — or cajuput oil n a pungent essential oil obtained from plants of the genus Melaleuca and esp. cajeput and used chiefly as a local application in skin disease and as a stimulating expectorant * * * a volatile oil from the fresh leaves and twigs of …   Medical dictionary 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”