Tuberose for Aromatherapy

Despite growing only a few feet tall and having a somewhat unremarkable appearance, tuberose is one of the most expensive plants used in aromatherapy. Tuberose, with the botanical name Polianthes tuberose, comes from the Agavaceae plant family. The slim plant with small, lily-like flowers originally comes from Mexico and Central America. Today, tuberose grows commercially in France, Morocco, China and Egypt. Despite its value in high-end, expensive perfumes, tuberose has limited aromatherapy uses. Before carrying out any aromatherapy practices, you should consult a trained aromatherapist or doctor.

Processing

Commercial processing utilizes a solvent extraction method--using a chemical compound to extract the essential oil from the plant--to create a tuberose concrete. A concrete is a semi-solid, waxy material containing both the essential oil and some plant material residual from the processing. This is further refined by performing a second processing with alcohol to create a tuberose absolute. The absolute looks like a very thick essential oil, but can also be semi-solid. The absolute and concrete are not the same as a true essential oil because they contain more material than just the plant's essential oil. They can be used in perfumes and other aromatic aromatherapy applications.

Constituents

Tuberose contains many different chemical constituents. Essential oil researcher Jeanne Rose identifies tuberose's chemical makeup in her book, "375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols." The primary compounds include methyl benzoate, methyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, tuberone and alcohols such as nerol and geraniol.

Properties

In her book, "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils," aromatherapist Julie Lawless notes tuberose's properties include acting as a narcotic--something that induces sleep and can cause intoxication. Rose also notes the purported narcotic property, and discusses tuberose's aphrodisiac property. Scientific research on these properties does not confirm them. Some studies, however, have found that tuberose exhibits some antibacterial ability. A 2009 study in "The Indian Journal of Pharmacology" found tuberose killed both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Uses

Lawless explains that tuberose has very limited aromatherapy uses. Its fragrance makes it a welcome aromatic addition to most essential oil blends and treatments, but its limited therapeutic benefits and high cost make it an oil much more likely to be used in perfumes than in an aromatherapy practice. However, Rose explains that tuberose can be used to help promote relaxation or increase sexual arousal, but these uses do not have research to support them.

Safety and Adulteration

According to Lawless, there is little safety data on tuberose, but because it does contain tuberone, a ketone, it may have potential toxicity issues. Ketones are not easily processed by the liver. Tuberose also is a product that often is adulterated. Adulteration involves adding other natural or synthetic compounds to an essential oil. It is common in aromatherapy materials that are expensive to produce.