Forgotten perfumery plants: hawthorn volatile extract study

Since antiquity, lots of plants used in perfumery have been forgotten for different reasons. They could be of huge interest for scientific investigations, but also for developing natural perfumery ingredients. Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.) was mainly used in scented oils, 'antique' oils and ointments during the nineteenth century in perfumery; before being replaced with synthetic materials. This study presents new insights into the phytochemical and olfactory profile of hawthorn, to investigate its interest in perfumery and cosmetics. Obtained by hydrodistillation of frozen flowering aerial parts, the Provencal Crataegus monogyna volatile extract showed an aniseed, green fragrance. A total of 105 components were identified using GC/MS and GC/FID techniques, accounting for 96.4% of the total GC/FID chromatogram. The volatile profile is mainly composed of hydrocarbons, oxygenated monoterpenes and aldehydes, among which linalool (20.3 +/- 0.2%) appeared to be the most abundant. A strong anti-elastase (anti-ageing) activity was also highlighted.