The second part of this class, held February 2-7, 1997 was as good as the first held in August, 1996!! Again, the class was held on the campus of Purdue University and in the New Crops Lab in the Horticulture building. The course was led by Program Leaders Dr. James Simon, (The Center for New Crops & Plant Products, Purdue University), Charla Devereux (Natural Oils Research Association, Inc., USA) and Keith Shawe (The Natural Products Research Institute, UK).

This two-part training program in essential oils focused on their history, botany, ecology, chemistry, distillation, commercial production and marketing. This program is designed for those wishing an in-depth study of natural essential oils and their source plants. Part One focused on essential oils, their origin, their biochemistry or formation in plants, their extraction, processing and characteristics; also oil isolation and analysis as well as the beginning of developing quality control programs. Part Two focused on applications of essential oils, and more advanced training in the chemistry, chemical analysis, and biological activity of essential oils, characterization and quality control.

The complete course focused on essential oils, but due to the overwhelming attendance by aromatherapists for Part One, Part Two was open only for the first attendees which, out of an original 25, 16 were able to return. Part of the joy of the first class was the bonding that occurred between the participants, so we were delighted to meet again, even in Indiana, in February. Most of the first two days were spent thinking on the molecular level and discovering the excitement of understanding organic chemistry - which was expertly taught by Dr. Robert Pappas, Flavor, Fragrance, Essential Oil Research chemist from The Lebermuth Company, South Bend, Indiana. We learned almost everything we ever wanted to know about organic and essential oil chemistry!

Purdue’s own, Professor Bob Melara (Dept. of Psychological Sciences), gave a great overview of human sensory perception and olfaction. Also, Professor Karl Wood, (Purdue Campus-Wide Center for GC and GC/Mass Spectroscopy) gave us in-depth explanation of the workings and advantages of mass spectroscopy. Lab practicums included antimicrobial activity of essential oils (agar plate experiments) and the use of biological assays (brine shrimp, potato disc, etc.) to evaluate botanicals. Many participants brought along oil samples to test for activities and the results were compiled at the end of the class.

We enjoyed Professor Jerry McLaughlin (Dept. of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Purdue) and his fascinating lecture concerning his work on anti-cancer compounds isolated from the paw-paw. Keith Shawe once again spoke on Belizean aromatic plants and ethnobotanical issues while showing some wonderful slides and fragrant samples from his work in Belize. Efraim Lewinsohn (Ministry of Agriculture, Israel), who was with us in Part One, returned to fill in the gaps and reinforced our organic chemistry understanding with lectures on molecular biology, intermediate biochemistry of natural products and hands-on molecular modeling.

For one exercise, we were put to the test of deciding which oils were real compared to adulterated or synthetic - and luckily, we all scored very good at determining the "real" thing. Other demos included aroma sensing technology - the electronic nose - and headspace analysis. Another round-table discussion efficiently led by Charla Devereux, opened and continued discussions on several important issues facing us as leading participants in the growth of aromatherapy within North America. Results of this will be forthcoming.

Finally, because one of the requirements for the diploma is the completion of a research project, we got to hear our fellow students presentations. Out of the 16 returning students, 6 projects were completed, and everyone was able to present at least summaries of their topics. These presentations and ensuing interactions were fascinating. Hopefully some interesting research results will be published. At the close, we - the first graduating class, all agreed to meet in a year (in Florida) for a class reunion, some R&R, and to share some facet of our work or research for continuing education purposes, of course!

Overall, this two-part course, in my opinion (and I am hard-to-please, especially when it comes to education) is the best you can get. Not for beginners, the schedule is tough and the depth of material may intimidate someone without at least some background in science (chemistry, botany, biology, etc.). This course packs a lot of information and activity into six days and the cost is high, but extremely reasonable for the content and resources. I highly recommend this educational investment to any one seriously involved with essential oils not only for the content of knowledge and first-hand experience in a university setting, but also because of the participation with like-minded individuals. Again, as with Part One, the relationships that have formed and the networking that occurred from such a learning experience cannot be underestimated!. This course gives graduate credits and will be offered yearly, with the next Part I scheduled for August 4-9, 1997. Enrollment is limited so sign up early to secure a spot. For info call NORA (914) 838-4340 or Purdue University, CE office (317) 447-4142.