Resins and Oleo Resins Introduction

Hafiz Waheed Ullah

Resins
• The term ‘resin’ is applied to more or less solid,
amorphous products of complex chemical nature.

• Resins are plant exudates formed in schizogenous or

schlzolysigenous ducts or cavities.
• On heating they soften and finally melt.
• They are insoluble in water and usually insoluble in
petroleum spirit but dissolve more or less completely in
alcohol, chloroform and ether.
Chemical Nature

• Chemically, resins are

complex mixtures of resin
acids, resin alcohols
(resinols), resin phenols
(resinotannols), esters and
chemically inert
compounds known as
resenes.
 Formation and Occurance
• In the plants resins usually occur in different secretory
zones or structures.
• A few typical examples of such plant sources along with
their specific secretary structures are given below:
• (i) Resin Cells : Ginger–Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Family:
Zingiberaceae);
• (ii) Schizogenous Ducts : Pine Wood–Pinus polustris
Miller. or Schizolysogenous (Family: Pinaceae). Ducts or
Cavities
• (iii) Glandular Hairs : Cannabis–Cannabis sativa Linne’.
(Family: Moraceae)
Formation and Occurance
• The formation of resins in the plant is by virtue of its
normal physiological functions.
• However, its yield may be enhanced in certain
exceptional instances by inflicting injury to the living plant,
for instance: Pinus.
• Many products (e.g. benzoin and balsam of Tolu) are not
formed by the plant until it has been injured: that is, they
are of pathological origin.
Classification

• Classification based on

1) Their chemical nature

2) As per their association with the other group of

compounds such as essential oils and gums
 Resins and resins combination

RESINS EXAMPLES
CHEMICAL RESN ACIDS Colophony, myrrh,
GROUPS RESIN ESTERS Benzoin,
RESIN ALCOHOL Benzon, Storax
RESIN PHENOLS Balsam of tolu,Balsam of peru
GLUCORESINS Jalap
RESENES Asafoetida
MIXED Mastic, shellac
COMPOSITION

RESINS GUM RESINS Ammoniacum, gamboge

OLEORESINS Turpentine, Ginger
WITH GUM/ OLEOGUM RESIN Myrrh, Asafoetida, Olibanum
ESSENTIAL
OILS
BALSAMS ---------- TOLU BALSAM,
PERU BALSAM
Classification based on Chemical nature

CLASSIFICATION:
1. Resin acid: carboxylic acid group containing resinous
substances e.g. abietic acid (colophony) & commiphoric
acid (myrrh)
2. Resin ester: esters of resin acids or the other aromatic
acids like benzoic, cinnamic, salicylic acid etc. e.g. dragon’
blood and benzoin
3. Resin alcohol (resinol): alcoholic compound with high
mol. wt. e.g. benzoresinol in benzoin & storesinol in storax.
4. Resin phenol (resino tannols): contains phenol group
e.g. peru- resinotannol in peru balsam & tolu-resinotannol
in tolu balsam & siaresinotannol in benzoin
5. Gluco resins: resins when get combined with sugars by
glycosylation e.g. Convolvulaceae family drugs
Classification based on association with an other compound

CLASSIFICATION:

1. Oleoresins : When resins occur with volatile oils, the mixture is called
as oleoresins. Turpentine, Capsicum, Ginger, and Canada Balsam are
oleoresins.
2. Gum resin: When resins are found In combination with gums. then
such resins are known as gum resins. Asafoetida, Myrrh.
3. Oleo-gum Resins: Oleo-gum-resins are associated with gum and
volatile oil both. e.g.. Myrrh. Ipomoea.
4. Balsams: Balsams are resinous substances which contain large
proportions of benzoic or cinnamic acids either free or in combination or
their esters. e.g. Tolu balsam, peru balsam, storax
5. Glycoresins (Glucoresins): Some resins are found in combination
with glycosides. These resins occur in Ipornoea, Scammony, Jalap and
Podophyllum. On hydrolysis they produce sugars and complex resin
acids as aglycones.