Chemistry, Oh Chemistry…
It’s one of the oldest stories: a baby born under a bright shining star, shepherds and wise men travel far to meet them, bringing gifts. Two of these infamous gifts were Frankincense and Myrrh. But, what are these legendary items, and why were they such lavish gifts?
What is Frankincense?
Frankincense, which is otherwise known as Olibanum, is still regularly used today — even though we are less aware of its use. It’s a pale yellow resin that’s extracted from Boswellia trees. The main use of frankincense, as the name suggests, is as a type of incense. It can also be found inside some expensive perfumes and other scented products such as skincare.
When it’s used as incense, a number of compounds are what make the iconic aroma. A significant percentage of the resin is made of compounds called ‘boswellic acids’, but these don’t contribute to the scent, as they are too heavy to become volatile when burned. Instead, a variety of other compounds are found in the smoke: octanol, octyl acetate and various ‘terpenoid compounds’ have all been identified as contributors to the smell of burning frankincense.
What is Myrrh?
Myrrh is potentially the least understood of the three gifts. Not unlike frankincense, it is also a resin (red-brown in colour), obtained from Commiphora trees. It was originally used as part of the embalming process in Ancient Egypt, and can also be used in perfumes and as a incense. Myrrh has been used in traditional medicine for many centuries, as studies have shown that it has antibacterial properties.
The smell of Myrrh is attributed to the presence of several compounds from ‘the furanosesquiterpene’ family of chemicals. These include dihydropyrocurzerenone, lindestrene, and furanoeudesma-1,3-diene, with these essential oils being important contributors to the sweet-woody scent.
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By Phoebe Hinton-Sheley