Một dự án của Lê Mai A Lê Mai project · go to lemai.com.vn

Elecampane

Cúc đảng sâm

Inula helenium

Alantroot

Asteraceae · Rễ sấy khô · Dried roots · Steam-distilled

Botanical illustration of Inula helenium; dried roots used to extract Elecampane essential oil
Elecampane essential oil, extracted from the dried roots of Inula helenium. Botanical illustration, Lê Mai Library.

Safety

Skin sensitization · IFRA prohibited

Very high risk of skin sensitization.

Contraindication: should not be used on the skin.

IFRA recommends elecampane oil not be used as a fragrance ingredient due to sensitizing potential.

Prohibited entirely in the EU and Canada.

Maximation test at 4 percent: 23 of 25 volunteers showed 'extremely severe' allergic reactions. Alantolactone at 1 percent caused positive reactions in 4 of 25 patch-test patients.

Sesquiterpene lactones from Compositae (Asteraceae) plants are notorious sensitizers, costus and elecampane are the most pronounced examples.

Usage guidelines

Recommendation
Do not use on skin
EU/Canada status
Prohibited as fragrance ingredient

Chemistry

Volatile constituents
Alantolactone52.4 %
Isoalantolactone33.0 %
Eudesma-5,7(11)-diene-8β-12 olide1.3 %
β-Elemene1.2 %

Botanical source

Inula helenium is a tall perennial of temperate Europe and Asia. The thick dried roots have been used in Greek and Roman traditional medicine (recorded by Pliny).

The oil is steam-distilled from the roots. Family Asteraceae.

Elecampane oil has frequently been used as an adulterant of costus oil. Not to be confused with Inula graveolens, both are called 'inula oil' but they are different species.

Related oils