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    Ambergris: Gold". The Ancient Chinese Also Called It "Dragons Spittle Fragrance"

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    Faizah Khalid
    Ambergris is a waxy substance produced in the intestines of sperm whales that is used to make perfumes and medicines. It forms when squid beaks indigestible by whales bind together in their intestines. Ambergris comes in various colors and textures, and ranges in size from small pebbles to objects over 450kg. Chemically, the best quality ambergris contains a high percentage of ambrein, which gives it a desirable scent. Historically, ambergris was valued for its perfume and alleged medicinal properties, and was sometimes consumed in foods and drinks.

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    Ambergris: Gold". The Ancient Chinese Also Called It "Dragons Spittle Fragrance"

    Uploaded by

    Faizah Khalid
    1K views6 pages
    Ambergris is a waxy substance produced in the intestines of sperm whales that is used to make perfumes and medicines. It forms when squid beaks indigestible by whales bind together in their intestines. Ambergris comes in various colors and textures, and ranges in size from small pebbles to objects over 450kg. Chemically, the best quality ambergris contains a high percentage of ambrein, which gives it a desirable scent. Historically, ambergris was valued for its perfume and alleged medicinal properties, and was sometimes consumed in foods and drinks.

    Original Description:

    Pharmacognosy

    Original Title

    Ambergris (1)

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    Ambergris is a waxy substance produced in the intestines of sperm whales that is used to make perfumes and medicines. It forms when squid beaks indigestible by whales bind together in their intestines. Ambergris comes in various colors and textures, and ranges in size from small pebbles to objects over 450kg. Chemically, the best quality ambergris contains a high percentage of ambrein, which gives it a desirable scent. Historically, ambergris was valued for its perfume and alleged medicinal properties, and was sometimes consumed in foods and drinks.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    1K views6 pages

    Ambergris: Gold". The Ancient Chinese Also Called It "Dragons Spittle Fragrance"

    Uploaded by

    Faizah Khalid
    Ambergris is a waxy substance produced in the intestines of sperm whales that is used to make perfumes and medicines. It forms when squid beaks indigestible by whales bind together in their intestines. Ambergris comes in various colors and textures, and ranges in size from small pebbles to objects over 450kg. Chemically, the best quality ambergris contains a high percentage of ambrein, which gives it a desirable scent. Historically, ambergris was valued for its perfume and alleged medicinal properties, and was sometimes consumed in foods and drinks.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 6

    Ambergris

    Introduction:
    The word ambergris is derived from old French “Ambere gris” or
    grey amber and from Arab word “Anbar”. It is also called as “Floating
    Gold”. The ancient Chinese also called it “Dragons Spittle Fragrance”
    It is a solid ,waxy material produced in the sperm whale and also in
    the pygmy sperm whale but it is not found in all types of whales,
    only found in about 1.5% of these whales. So, it is not common a
    substance and is very expensive e.g the best amber goes for $10,000
    per pound.
    Zoological origin: Physeter macrocephalus
    Family: Physeteridae
    Part used: Solid material from the intestine of sperm whale.

    Collection:
    It is primarily found in the Atlantic ocean and on the coasts of South
    Africa, brazil, The Maldives, China, Japan, India, New Zealand etc.
    It can be found floating on found floating on the sea or washed away
    on the coast. After the death of sperm whale it can also be removed
    from the abdomen of sperm whale.

    Colors:
    It comes in different colors, shapes
    and textures most often white, grey,
    black and brown color.
    Texture and size:
    Its texture is like rock or dry clay
    and size ranges from 15gm to
    450kg.

    Formation:
    It is formed in the second intestine of the sperm whale during the
    digestion of squids. Squids are the staple part of the sperm whale diet.
    The squid have hard and sharp “parrot like” beaks which are unable to
    digest by the whale. In response the whale may produce ambergris as
    a means of binding together and eliminating these indigestible beaks.
    Squid beak pieces are found in the ambergris. However, the precise
    function and mechanism for the production of ambergris is still
    disputed but it may play some role in protecting the whales from the
    sharp beaks of the squid

    Chemical Constituents:
    The three isolated major components are:
    Amberein (a tricyclic triterpenoid alcohol) and a series of sterols of
    the cholesterol type mainly epicorprostanol and coprostanone.

    Quality Identification:
    The ratio of the two types of terpenes determines the quality of
    material.
     The best sample (grey amber) contain 80% of amberein
     Black amber contains up to 46%.
    Ingredients Responsible For Fragrance:
    Alpha ambrinol: mold, animal, fecal odor
    Gamma dihydroionone: tobacco
    Gamma coronal: sea water
    Ambro: wet amber

    Ambrein Ambrox

    Uses:
    Cosmetic Industry:
    It is mainly used in creating perfumes and fragrance much like musk.
    Perfumes can be still found with ambergris around the world.
    It is used to fix the scent of various volatile oils.

    Medicines:
    In the past in China it was prescribed against the respiratory
    disorders.
     It could also be administered to treat heart, brain, headaches,
    tension, muscle spasms, nervous disorders, aphasia, facial
    paralysis.
     It is also good for joints.
     In India it is used in “Ayurvedic medicines” prepared against
    epilepsy and certain dysfunctions of the nervous system.
     In homeopathy, the strain “Ambra grisea” and prescribed
    against the hypersensitivity, sleep disturbances.

    Cooking:
    Throughout the Middles Ages, it was used in stews, pies, creams and
    jams. The hot chocolate with amber was popular drink in the history.
    In morocco, it is a tradition to ambergris with tea. Indeed, a small
    piece of ambergris is stuck in teapot and tea takes the aroma and
    flavor of ambergris. It is considered an effective aphrodisiac as its
    odor acts directly on the hormonal system.
    Contents:

     Introduction
     Collection
     Colors
     Texture and sizes
     Formation
     Chemical Constituents
     Quality Identification
     Ingredients Responsible For Fragrance
     Uses

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