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The Taiwan Forestry Research Institute said it is promoting full utilization of Taiwan’s incense cedar to develop a high-value circular economy for forest resources. Source: Taipei Times Incense cedar is an endemic species of Taiwan and is one of Taiwan’s five major coniferous tree species, the institute said. It is distributed in mountainous areas of northern and central Taiwan at elevations of 300m to 1,900m, it said. Taiwan incense cedar is the primary tree species used for reforestation in warm forests between 500m and 1,800m above sea level, the institute said. While Taiwan incense cedar wood is popular with consumers thanks to its distinctive aroma, surplus materials generated during the process of forest tending, pruning and wood processing are usually used as fuel or disposed of, it said. The institute’s Chiayi Research Centre promoted research on the reutilization of Taiwan incense cedar surplus materials at the Yunshui Experiment Station from last year to this year, the institute said. Water distillation was applied to extract Taiwan incense cedar oil from surplus materials, while the remaining materials would be ground into scented powder or made into incense cones, it said. The institute said that water distillation is a well-established extraction technique. It uses high-temperature steam to release volatile aromatic compounds from plants, which would then be condensed and separated to obtain natural essential oils, the institute said. Water distillation can preserve the plant’s aroma and active compounds without adding organic solvents, it said. That helps meet modern consumers’ demand for natural, safe and environmentally friendly products, the institute said. Taiwan incense cedar essential oil is rich in compounds such as ferruginol, alpha-pinene and limonene, it said. Ferruginol is highly antibacterial and antioxidant, the institute said, adding that it can inhibit skin disease-associated pathogens and tyrosinase, a key enzyme involved in skin pigmentation, it added.

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