We’ve covered a lot about agarwood recently. The unique way that it’s formed and how we can mass produce it through artificial means. However, not much attention has been paid towards the analysis and quality grading of agarwood. To be more specific, agarwood oil.
Although many studies have been carried out, each one utilizes different methods to analyze the quality of agarwood oil. Japanese researchers for example compare its chemical compounds using the GC/MS technique, which combines gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Others use the SPME method which detects odor compounds.
The Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) on the other hand adopts a more robust approach, taking into account wood physical properties, resin content, high fixative properties, and length of period of aroma when burnt.
You can read more about the breakdown of these different research methods here.
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