Aromatherapy by grass

Grass naturally produce out the green leaf volatiles (GLVs) when the grass cut or damaged through animals grazing on them. The GLVs released are a group of eight related oxygenated hydrocarbons which include aldehydes and alcohols that cause the green odor of grass. From this thesis, the essential oils from selected grass around Universiti Malaysia Kelantan Jeli Campus, Bermuda grass, (Cynodon dactylon) and fragrant flatsedge (Cryperus odoratus) are extracted using water-steam distillation to determine the aroma of green grass odor. Water-steam distillation is the process that is one of the most favorably methods to extract essential oils. The essential oils collected from both of grass samples were developed into liquid and gel air freshener for aromatherapy. Results showed that, the essential oils produce from both of grass sample were at low amount which cannot be traced. In developing of the aromatherapy, the hydrosols collected from the extraction process were used to increase the odor of both grass samples. C. dactylon produce aroma that like smoke smell for liquid and vegetable smell for gel air freshener and the aroma not too strong while C. odoratus produce the aroma of grass but not fresh as the fresh cut grass for both liquid and gel air freshener. It is predicted that the volatile organic compound (VOC) was lost during the extraction process. (Z)-3-hexenal is one of the main compound that makes fresh-cut grass its smell which it is unstable and quickly rearrange.