Optical Rotation

It is an easy way to quickly measure the polarimetric quality parameter of essential oils. It can be used to identify essential oils and determine their purity. The term volatile oils is sometimes used to describe essential oils such as lemon oil or orange oil. These oils are typically obtained by distillation. These oils are concentrated hydrophobic fluids that extract essential aromatic compounds from plants. To characterize the different compositions of essential oils, one can use Optical Rotation. These measurements can give information about the quality of essential oils. The Optical Rotation can be affected by any change in the oil’s optimal composition. The optical rotation of essential oils must be determined by international pharmacopoeias, such as the ones in the US or Europe. It is usually done at 25 or 20 degrees Celsius.