Science Courses

• On-line Modules
• Small Animals
• Equine

This module is needed for the diploma course and will cover topics outlined below:

Introduction to organic chemistry

• Review of biosynthetic pathways for terpenoids and phenylpropanoids.
• The main families of components found in essential oils:
• Definitions, recognition, general therapeutics, research and safety of each family with main components identified.
• Application to practice: learning to formulate using essential oil chemistry.
• Reading analyses and determining potential uses.
• Review from a chemical perspective of the main study oils of the course.
• How to recognise, source and store essential oils. Criteria for quality control.
• Review of definitions: essential oil, aromatic extract, chemotype, hybrid, clone, hydrolat etc.

Chemistry and comparisons

• Essential oils, aromatic extracts (absolutes, resinoids, CO2 extracts), vegetable oils, macerated oils and hydrolats. To include other principles found in plant extracts; tannins, alkaloids etc.
• Methods of administration: Mechanics and methods
• The respiratory interface: essential oil evidence and key guidelines
• The cutaneous interface: essential oil evidence and key guidelines
• The oral interface: essential oil evidence and key guidelines

By the end of this module students will:

Understand the different methods of essential oil and plant extracts, including maceration, distillation, expression and solvent extraction.

Be able to describe the different pathways of application - olfactory, topical and oral Understand the action of basic chemical constituents of essential oils and plant extracts terpenes, alcohols, phenols, alderhydes, ketones, esthers, oxides, lactones, coumarins and acids.