Geraniol

Absorption

The profile of the geraniol concentrations in rat blood following oral administration of the emulsified formulation was characterized by a peak concentration at 30 min of about 270 μg/mL and an area under concentration (AUC) similar to that obtained by the intravenous administration of the same geraniol dose, indicating an absolute bioavailability of 92% . Geraniol appears able to permeate directly from the bloodstream to the central nervous system following its oral administration to rats, reaching detectable amounts in the CSF; peak concentration in the CSF was found to be about 2.5 μg/mL and was observed 30 min after oral administration .

Description

Geraniol has a characteristic rose-like odor. Geraniol may be prepared by fractional distillation from those essential oils rich in geraniol, or synthetically from myrcene; commercial geraniol cannot be classified according to its alcohol content, as most of the recurring impurities are alcoholic in nature (nerol, citronellol, tetrahydrogeraniol). Gas-chromatography techniques may be usefully employed to determine the geraniol content in a product.

Description

What is more evocative of Valentine’s Day than roses? But did you ever wonder about the compounds in roses that are responsible for the flower’s wonderful scent? Writing in the?Journal of Chemical Education?in 2011, Albrecht Mannschreck and Erwin von Angerer* at the University of Regensburg (Germany) gave a full accounting of roses’ aroma constituents.
According to the authors,?geraniol,?(–)-citronellol, and?β-damascenone?(Figures 1, 2, and 3, respectively) are three major components of rose scent.?Geraniol is monoterpene alcohol that is a main ingredient of rose oil; it also is present in many other essential oils. It was first isolated by O. Jacobsen in 1871. Its structure is similar to that of nerol, also a rose scent ingredient.
Citronellol exists in nature as two enantiomers, designated (+) and (–). The (+)-isomer is more common and takes its name from citronella oils. The (–) isomer, however, is the one that occurs in the oils of roses and geraniums. The citronellols are also monoterpene alcohols; they are the hydrogenated forms of geraniol.
β-Damascenone is different: It belongs to a family of unsaturated ketones known as rose ketones. Its concentration in rose oil is very small, but it contributes significantly to the aroma.
All three of these compounds are articles of commerce as fragrance ingredients used by the perfume industry. So if you give your loved one perfume instead of roses for Valentine’s Day, she or he will likely get a whiff of one of them.

The Uses of Geraniol

Geraniol is used in the synthesis of insect repellant. It is also used in the synthesis of Angelicoin A and Herecinone J, which inhibit collagen-induced platelet aggregation.

Indications

Geraniol is approved for use within allergenic epicutaneous patch tests which are indicated for use as an aid in the diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in persons 6 years of age and older.

Background

Geraniol is a monoterpene that is found within many essential oils of fruits, vegetables, and herbs including rose oil, citronella, lemongrass, lavender, and other aromatic plants. It is emitted from the flowers of many species of plant and is commonly used by the food, fragrance, and cosmetic industry. Geraniol has demonstrated a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective to name a few . Interestingly, geraniol has also been shown to sensitize tumour cells to commonly used chemotherapies including Fluorouracil and Docetaxel and represents a promising cancer chemopreventive agent . Due to its anticancer effects, geraniol has been found to be effective against a broad range of cancers including breast, lung, colon, prostate, pancreatic, skin, liver, kidney and oral cancers .
These pharmacologic effects are clinically important as geraniol is classified as generally-recognized-as-safe (GRAS) by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States. Sensitivity to geraniol may be identified with a clinical patch test.

Metabolism

Not Available