Copaiba Balsam is a natural oleoresin produced by various Copaifera species, which are large trees indigenous to northeastern and central South America, primarily Brazil. Smaller quantities of this oleoresin are also harvested in Venezuela, British Guiana, Surinam, and Colombia. The extraction process involves drilling holes into the trunks of these trees, allowing the oleoresin to flow abundantly from large cavities. This oleoresin is a significant source of wood known as keruing, which is extensively utilized in the plywood industry. Balsam, a resinous exudate from living trees and shrubs, is characterized by plant-specific resins dissolved in plant-specific solvents, commonly essential oils. The exudate ranges from mobile to highly viscous and may contain crystallized resin particles. Over time, environmental influences can cause the exudate to lose its liquid components or chemically convert into a solid via auto-oxidation.
The classification of resins is challenging due to their amorphous nature, and even the term "resin" lacks a precise definition. Plant resins are often categorized along with other plant constituents into various types: pure resins (e.g., guaiac, hashish), gum-resins (containing gums and polysaccharides), oleo-gum-resins (a mix of gums, resins, and essential oils), oleo-resins (a combination of resins and essential oils, such as capsicum, ginger, and aspidinol), balsams (resinous mixtures with cinnamic and/or benzoic acid or their esters), and glycoresins (e.g., podophyllin, jalap, kava kava).
The perfume derived from the sap of Commiphora opobalsamum is referenced in the Bible under various names such as bosem, besem, nataf, and in rabbinic literature as kataf, balsam, appobalsamon, afarsemon. This perfume was the only tropical and the most expensive spice cultivated in Israel, known to Pliny as obalsamum. The biblical term "balsam" likely also denoted a medicinal compound made from balsam sap and other ingredients.Balsam, an ingredient of the incense (ketoret) burned in the Tabernacle, has a rich historical significance. The Egyptian town of Ain Shams was renowned for its balsam-garden, cultivated under government supervision. During the Middle Ages, the balsam-tree is said to have grown only here, though it was formerly native to Syria.
According to a Coptic tradition known also by Muslims, Mary, the mother of Jesus, washed his clothes in the spring of Ain Shams on their way back to Palestine after their flight to Egypt. From that time onwards, the spring was considered beneficent. During the Middle Ages, balsam-trees reportedly produced their precious secretion only on land watered by this spring. Balsam is also known as Balsam of Mecca. The tree Commiphora opobalsamum grows wild in the valley of Mecca, where it is called beshem. There are many strains of this species, with some found in Somalia and Yemen. While it is hardly used as a perfume today, balsam serves in the Orient as a healing agent for wounds and as an antidote to snakebites and scorpion stings.
In fragrances, Balsam Copaiba oil has good application for woody blends. It blends especially well with Sandalwood Oil and Patchouli, and can be used up to 10% levels for Oriental blends. The unique chemical composition of balsam and its derivatives grants them specific properties suitable for a variety of applications, maintaining its historical and cultural significance through the ages.
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