EU_Declaration_91019.pdf
Botanical Name: Sclerocarya birrea Common name: Marula Read More
|
Botanical Name: |
Sclerocarya birrea |
|
Common name: |
Marula |
|
Plant family: |
Anacardiaceae |
|
Genus: |
Sclerocarya |
|
Appearance/Color: |
Off-white to colorless |
|
Origin |
West Africa |
|
Source |
Seeds |
|
Method of Extraction |
Cold Pressed |
Sclerocarya birrea ssp. caffra is a Savannah tree, belonging to the family Anacardiaceae. The plant develops pale yellow fruits, 3–4 cm in diameter. The fruit is edible and contains a hard brown seed. The seed encloses 2–3 soft white edible kernels (nuts), which are rich in oil and protein. The oil content of seeds from S. birrea amounted to 53.5%. The major fraction in S. birrea seed oil was triacyglycerol, representing 76.5% of the total lipid, followed by phospholipids 12.5% and diacyglyecrol 5.6%. The S. birrea oil contained 67.2% oleic acid, 5.9% linoleic acid, 14.1% palmitic acid, and traces of linolenic acid.
The marula fruit tree (Sclerocarya birrea) is native to parts of southern Africa. The trees grow wild and were once rare, but are now cultivated. Once considered sacred, the marula tree was linked to fertility and happy marriage in ancient times. The fermented fruit of the marula tree was also thought to intoxicate elephants, who seem to adore its delicious taste as much as people do. Many parts of the marula tree are used as ingredients in food and traditional medicine throughout Africa. Each marula fruit contains a hard, brown nut with pliable, white kernels at its core. Marula oil is primarily extracted from these kernels, but can also be obtained from the nut’s outer husk. Marula oil is rich in protein and easily absorbed, making it an effective skin and hair treatment.
Essential oils are distilled from the aromatic leaves, bark, and roots of plants. If applied to the skin directly, they can cause reactions, such as severe irritation, redness or burning.
Carrier oils and essential oils are made from plants. Carrier oils are used to dilute essential oils and “carry” them to skin. That’s because essential oils are potent and can cause irritation when applied directly to skin. Most carrier oils are unscented or lightly scented and don’t interfere with an essential oil’s therapeutic properties. They may be used alone or with other oils to nourish skin.
Carrier oils are used to dilute the essential oils and help “carry” them into the skin. Aloe vera gels and unscented body lotion are also sometimes used as carriers.
To be used in aromatherapy, it is recommended that the oil is obtained through cold pressing. In this process, the oil is extracted by crushing the plants. Users claim that the fragile nutrients in the oil can be damaged if they are extracted with heat. Venkatramna’s carrier Oils are extracted from the Cold Pressed method to retain their properties.
Common Usage: Aromatherapy
TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Safety Summary
· Hazards Not Known
· Contraindications: Not Known
Organ Specific Effects
· Adverse skin reaction: No Information Found
· Reproductive Toxicity: No Information Found
Systemic Effects
· Acute Toxicity: Non-Toxic Product.
· Antioxidant/pro-oxidant activity: No Data Available
· Carcinogenic/anti carcinogenic potential: No Data Available
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Toxicity
· Acute fish toxicity: LC50 / 96 HOUR – No data available
· Toxicity to aquatic plants – No data available
· Toxicity to microorganisms – No data available
· Toxicity threshold – No data available
· Persistence and degradability: Biodegradation is expected
· Bio-accumulative potential: Bioaccumulation is unlikely
· Mobility in soil: Unknown
Avoid exposure to marine environments and waterways
