Asafetida 225
12.3 Chemical constituents....................................................................
The different oleogum resins are asafetida, galbanum, sambal, sagapenum and ushak.
Of these, asafetida is the most important.
Asafetida consists of organic sulphur compounds, volatile oil, gum resin and impurities.
Both tears and masses have the same amount of volatile oil. A sample analysis shows
volatile oil at 3.5%, resin 46.6%, asaresinol ferulate 16.67%, free ferulic acid 1.33%,
ether insoluble resin 1.0% and gum and impurities 31.0%.
A sequeterpinoid coumarin and two other coumarins (asfoetidin and ferocolicin)
can be isolated from the root and gum resin respectively. Three new compounds
(asadisulphide, asacoumarin and asacoumarin B) have also been obtained from the
root. Six new sulphide derivatives (foetisulphide A, foetisulphide B, foetisulphide C
and foetisulphide D, foetithiphene A and foetithiphene B) along with known compounds
have also been isolated and named from the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of methanol
extract prepared from asafetida (Peter 2004).
Galbanum contains 6–9% essential oil similar to turpene, 60–75% sulphurous resin
and 19–22% other exudates, including the principal compound, umbelliferon. Galbanum
melts at 100 ∞C and becomes a thick fluid.
Sagapenum contains 50–54% resin, 31–32% gum and 3–11% essential oil. It can be
softened in the palm of the hand by body heat. While the fragrance is fine and not as
strong as that of asafetida, the taste is not acceptable.
Sambal is available as bits, which are light in weight and dark in colour outside and
yellowish white inside. It has a highly pungent taste and a fibrous appearance. The
odour resembles musk or Kasturi. It is often adulterated in India, the main market,
with roots of jatamamsi (Nardostactys sp.) or tagar (Valleriana celtica).
Ushak is dark coloured on the outside as long as it remains on the plant, Doremia
ammoniacum, but the inside is milky white to yellow. When cold, it hardens and
breaks easily, but on slight warmth it becomes soft and flexible. If mixed with water,
it becomes a milky emulsion. It has a pungent taste and the fragrance of frankincense.
Ushak contains 20% different exudates, 70% resin and 4% essential oil, moisture
and ash.
12.4 Extraction........................................................................................
Before flowering in spring, the female plant puts forth sprouts and foliage from the
taproot. After about a month, the green foliage turns yellow. It is at this stage that the
taproot of the female plant is tapped for asafetida. The process is described below.
- Soil and stones surrounding the yellow foliage are removed and the base of the
foliage, including the top of the taproot, is exposed.
- Foliage is pulled out, leaving the base on the upper part of the taproot as a brush-
like mass.
- The brush-like mass is covered with loose earth and gravel. The taproot is left
undisturbed for about five days.
- When this period is over, the earth and gravel around the taproot are cleared and
the brush-like mass is pulled out completely, exposing the top of the taproot. This