Lemon Petitgrain Oil

#### Lemon Petitgrain Oil. From the leaves and twigs and occasionally also from undeveloped small fruits of the lemon tree, **Citrus Limonum**, an essential oil is produced locally by steam distillation. Although it is grown all over the world, the lemon tree is usually cultivated for its fruits only, see **Lemon Oil**. However, in Guinea (West Africa), in Italy, Tunisia and occasionally in Algeria and Morocco, the **Lemon Petitgrain Oil **is produced. The main producer is Guinea, from which country the very best and richest oil comes. Apparently the high altitude (1200 to 1600 metres) of the plantations *and** *of the distilleries in Guinea have some influence upon the chemical composition of the oil (compare geranium, lavender, linaloe seed oil, etc.). **Lemon**** ****Petitgrain**** ****Oil**** **is a pale yellow to greenish yellow or olive-amber colored liquid of very strong, fresh odor with a distinct bitter undertone, at times woody, in poorer oils grassy. The dryout should be very rich and sweet, slightly floral- fruity. The natural oil is not useful in flavors, see **Lemon Petitgrain Oil, terpeneless.** **Lemon Petitgrain Oil **contains up to 50% citral, and thus it finds application in citrus-types of colognes, in chypres (for refreshing notes, topnotes, etc.), fougères, rose bases (can introduce very interesting topnotes), etc. But the particular bitter-fresh notes, the immensely rich and tenacious depth and undertone in the odor of this oil—these are due to minor constituents. The terpenes are partly responsible for the bitter-fresh notes since the terpeneless oil (see following monograph), does not present this particular effect. **Lemon**** ****Petitgrain**** ****Oil**** **blends excellently with geranium, lavandin rosemary, sage clary, etc., as well as with a wealth of synthetic perfume materials to which it imparts roundness and naturalness even at very low percentages. **Lemon Petitgrain Oil **is produced on a limited scale mainly due to lack of demand. Another reason is the remoteness of the producing areas in Guinea. When a customer asks a supplier for a sample of lemon petitgrain oil, he will in most cases receive an Italian oil. These are generally poor and the customer loses interest in lemon petitgrain oil. Production could be increased to 100 metric tons per year, if a demand existed, but at present, only 2 to 5 tons are produced annually in Guinea, and far less in Italy. An Algerian oil, studied by the author, was quite similar in type to the Italian oils but also slightly superior in quality to the best Italian lemon petitgrain oils which are the most common as samples from European brokers. Adulteration takes place with lemongrass oil fractions, citral, lemon oil, petitgrain oil Paraguay, eucalyptus staigeriana oil, and various fractions from other essential oils. The author has not yet seen a poor oil coming directly from Guinea. See also Lemon Petitgrain Terpeneless, following monograph.