Why We Extract in Alcohol — And What the Science Shows

At The Gumpii Apothecary, we were among the first to extract native Australian botanicals using alcohol (ethanol). This wasn't a trend we followed — it was a decision grounded in science.

Two Methods. Very Different Results.

Essential oils are produced through steam or hydrodistillation. This process captures volatile aromatic compounds — the monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids responsible for fragrance and some biological properties.

Alcohol extraction captures all of that — and significantly more.

What the Research Demonstrates

A peer-reviewed study of Wilga (Geijera parviflora) published in Acta Horticulturae found that solvent extraction revealed three distinct compound classes: monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, and diterpenes — predominantly coumarins.

The coumarins were the highest abundance volatile components found in the solvent extract.

They were completely absent from the essential oil.

Compound Class	Found in Essential Oil	Found in Alcohol Extract
Monoterpenoids	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Sesquiterpenoids	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Diterpenes (coumarins)	❌ No	✅ Yes

This is not a minor difference. All three compound classes captured through alcohol extraction are the subject of active scientific research into their biological activity. Steam distillation simply cannot deliver the same compound profile.

The Science Behind the Compounds

Emerging research has characterised over 112 natural sesquiterpenoids for their biological properties, with studies identifying mechanisms including modulation of key cellular signalling pathways and apoptosis-related proteins in malignant cells (He et al., 2025). Monoterpenoids and diterpenes are similarly the subject of ongoing investigation into their biological activity across multiple research institutions globally.

Note: This research relates to isolated compounds studied in laboratory settings. It does not constitute a claim that our products treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Our Position

We don't make claims based on tradition alone. We extract in alcohol because the science supports it — and because our customers deserve the most complete botanical profile available.

References

Sadgrove, N.J., Lyddiard, D., & Jones, G.L. (2016). Bioactive volatiles from Geijera parviflora Lindl. (Rutaceae): evidence for coumarin chemotypes. Acta Horticulturae, 1125. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2016.1125.18

He, X., Fan, R., Liu, M., Wang, H., Zhang, Y., & Xie, T. (2025). Recent advances of potential antitumor agents from natural sesquiterpenoids. Phytomedicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2025.157290