Network for the Valorization of Plant Materials (VPMA)

Flavours and fragrances (Zimbabwe)
(91-1022)

Principal investigators: 
Dr. Lameck Chagonda: University of Zimbabwe, Harare (Zimbabwe) 
Dr. Jocelyn Paré: Environnement Canada, Ottawa (Canada)  

Zimbabwe has an excellent agricultural potential due to its favourable climate and good infrastructure. This research project looked at three indigenous plants (heteropyxis natalensis, heteromorpha trifoliata and nidorella residaefolia) which could be used to produce fragrances for the local and international markets. The researchers also looked at the technology required to produce known extracts from four selected horticultural plants using the newly developed microwave extraction technology.  This technology has been found to be much less capital and energy intensive as compared to steam extraction technology.  It often produces extracts of distinct and usually better quality than the conventional steam distillation processes. But this is not necessarily an advantage as the users of extracts would not likely change their fragrance formulations to accommodate a small producer. This collaborative research will therefore develop the necessary parameters for microwave technology to meet existing extract standards, in the case of known extracts, and set new standards in the case of new extracts.