Sandalwood is the name of different fragrant woods. These woods are yielded by trees in thegenus Santalum, which are often used for the essential oil it contains. The wood is heavy and yellow in color as well as fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods it retains its fragrance for decades. The sandalwood fragrance is very distinctive and is used in countless applications. Sandalwood has been valued and treasured for many years for its fragrance, carving, medical and religious qualities. Sandalwood oil: is an essential oil obtained from the steam distillation of chips and billets cut from the heartwood of the Sandalwood (Santalum album) tree. Sandalwood oil is used in perfumes, cosmetics, and sacred unguents. Main Constituents: Sandalwood oil contains more than 90% sesquiterpenic alcohols of which 50-60% is the tricyclic α-Santalol. β-Santalol comprises 20-25%. Therapeutic Uses: Sandalwood essential oil is used in Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of both somatic and mental disorders. A study investigating the effects of inhalation of East Indian Sandalwood essential oil and its main compound, α-Santalol, on human physiological parameters, Sandalwood oil elevated pulse rate, skin conductance, and systolic blood pressure. Sandalwood oil and α-Santalol have been associated with chemopreventive activity in animal models of carcinogenesis.
