Extraction of essential oil from Cananga Odorata

Cananga Odorata, by its common name "ylang-ylang", is a very fragrant plant that is increasingly found in Bujumbura, the economic capital of Burundi, especially in the IMBO Plain. The extraction of essential oils from the fresh flowers of the plant, accomplished by hydrodistillation immediately after picking, gave an essential oil with quality indices in accordance with those of internationally recognized standards. With a density of 0.940, a refractive index (IR20) of 1.502, an acid index of 0.421, the essential oil extracted from the flowers of this Bujumbura genotype is in perfect agreement with AFNOR standards. But it is above all its ester index (EI) of 350.6, exceptionally very high, which suggests, a priori, the emergence of a variety of Cananga odorata with competitive qualities compared to the two already existing niches, know the niches of Comoros-Mayotte and Madagascar. The extraction and packaging of Cananga odorata essences offers new bioeconomic perspectives in aromatherapy and perfumery, not only in Burundi, but also in countries that share the same geo-climatic conditions of the Great African Rift.