Plant Sources:
Atherosperma moschatum
Tasmania, Victoria and N.S.W. as far north as the Barrington Tops district
“The leaves yielded from 1.7 - 2.65% of oil, with an approximate safrole level of 5-10%."
Identification by fractional distillation followed by b.p. , m.p. and density tests.
(Scott, J.Chem.Soc. 1912, 101, 1612)
Cinnamomum baileyanum
Far north Queensland from Cooktown to Capeyork, and Fraser Island in the south
“The yield of bark oil was 0.6% of which 46% was safrole, the leaf oil yield of 0.1-0.3% had none.”
Analysis by GC and GC/MS.
(J. Essent. Oil Res., 13, 332-335, 2001)
Cinnamomum camphora
Most of habitable Australia
Though this is a relatively recently introduced species it has spread so much to the point in Australia that it is now a classified as a noxious weed...
“Certain chemo types have been found to yield a bark oil containing 50-80% safrole”
(Safrole Faq)
Cinnamomum laubatii
Coastal northern Queensland
“The leaf oil compositions indicated two chemotypes, one with no aromatic compounds and the second containing 10-40% of safrole from an oil yield of 0.3-0.4%.”
Analysis by GC and GC/MS.
(J. Essent. Oil Res., 13, 332-335, 2001)
Cinnamomum oliveri
Northern NSW and southern Queensland
“The bark gave 0.4% oil, of which 25% was safrole.”
Identification by fractional distillation followed by b.p. , m.p. and density tests.
(Hargreaves, J.Chem.Soc. 1916, 109, 751)
“The leaf oil yield was 0.2-2.3%, the majority being >1%, of which 0.3-19% was safrole usually in inverse proportion to the camphor concentration.”
Analysis by GC and GC/MS.
(J. Essent. Oil Res., 13, 332-335, 2001)
Doryphora aromatica
Northern Queensland
“The bark gave 0.3% of oil, consisting chiefly of safrole at 95%.”
Identification by fractional distillation followed by b.p. , m.p. and density tests.
(Jones and Smith, Proc.Roy.Soc.Queensland, 1923, 35, 61-3 via P.E.O.R., 16, 179) - (This abstract was read from a scan of a book quoting the original report)
"The leaves contain no aromatic compounds (safrole)."
Analysis by GC and GC/MS.
(J. Essent. Oil. Res. 5, 581-586, 1993)
Doryphora sassafras
The south of Queensland down to the eastern districts of NSW from the blue mountains west of Sydney to as far west as the Jenolan caves.
“The leaves yielded from 0.1 to 0.85% oil, of one district had 60-65% safrole and the other district had 30% safrole.”
Identification by fractional distillation followed by b.p. , m.p. and density tests.
(J and Proc. Roy. Soc. N.S.W. 1921, 55, 270)
“The fresh leaves had yields of 0.8 - 2% (14.71% safrole), 0.3% for the bark (14.88% safrole), and seed oil containing 13.04% safrole.”
Analysis by GC and GC/MS.
(J. Essent. Oil. Res. 5, 581-586, 1993)
Eremophila longifolia
Usually inland, continental Australia except extreme north
"Steam distillation of the leaves gave an aromatic oil in 5.8 % yield. Various levels of safrole content between collection groups where recorded via fractional distillation and gas chromatography at (i) 72%, (ii) 90% mean / 93% best, (iii) 37%, and (iv) 0%."
(Australian Journal of Chemistry. 1961;14:663-664)
Zieria (Rutaceae)
Along the east coast from Victoria to Northern Queensland
+ Essential Oil constituents of the genus Zieria:
Analysis by GC and GC/MS.
(Phytochemistry, vol. 26, no. 6, 1673-1686, 1987.)
“Essential oil yields from the genus Zieria showed wide inter- and infraspecific variation (Fig. 1). Yields ranged from 0.1% and less for Z. involucrata and Z. oeronicea to 8.3 and 9.1% for Z. smithii sens. strict. and Z. grantdata, respectively. Variation within the one form was as great as 0.5-8.3 % for Z. smithii sens. strict. Some correlations between oil yield and chemistry were evident.”
