Main description:

The Chemistry of Aromatherapeutic Oils offers a practical approach to understanding the chemical functional groups and pharmacological actions of essential oils.

Incorporating up to date research findings, The Chemistry of Aromatherapeutic Oils takes you, step by step, through the fundamental chemistry of aromatherapy and explains the powerful effects of essential oils on the body at a molecular level.

Including:

* Useful chemical diagrams and easy to follow explanations

* Essential oil extraction methods and techniques for quality control

* Reference charts of the effects of essential oils on pharmacological targets and the major compounds of 89 essential oils

This book helps to make sense of the chemistry of aromatherapy for those who need to understand the science and efficacy of this healing art. Ideal for students and practitioners of holistic therapies, this book will also appeal to nurses, doctors, pharmacists and other allied health practitioners.

Contents:

List of Illustrations

List of Tables

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction

1 What is Chemistry?

2 Plants and Essential Oils

3 Terpenes

4 Functional groups

5 The pharmacology of essential oils

6 Quality control

7 Isomers and naming

8 Molecular structures

Appendix: Ready reference list of essential oils

Notes

Index