Professorial Lecture ENHANCING THE WORLD OF FRAGRANCE THROUGH MALAYSIAN BIO-GAHARU

• Main Author: Ku Halim Ku Hamid (Author)
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: Shah Alam, Selangor University Publication Centre (UPENA), Universiti Teknologi MARA 2011
• Series: Professorial lecture UiTM
• Subjects: Essences and essential oils > Analysis > Malaysia; Aromatic plants > Analysis; Forests and forestry > Malaysia; Forest management > Malaysia
• Online Access: Click Here to View Status and Holdings.

 Gaharu is scientifically known as Aqularia and well known as Agarwood. Sometime it is called as Wood of the Gods. It is used as a raw material for incense, perfumes or fragrant and even alternative medicine. It is believe that the aromatic product of the tree is one of the most expensive in the World. There are few hadith that encourage Muslim to use Gaharu products in certain cases, including medicinal practices; and most of religions in the world are using Gaharu in their ceremony. Wild Aquilaria trees normally found in Malaysia and grow randomly and scatter in forest through natural seeding process. Aquilaria malaccensis is one the species that produce high quality of products, grow in various habitats, including those that are rocky, sandy or calcareous, well-drained slopes ridges and near swamps. Since wild Gaharu trees have been chopped for the resinous stems, there are efforts have been carried out to develop Gaharu farm in Southeast Asia countries and India. Integrated farming normally practices by combining with many types of commercial plants, where Gaharu seeding by tissue culture technique is getting popular in order to quicken the plantation activities. Gaharu product from plantation is harvested by using inoculation or inducement process, it is an artificial technique in producing of agar or resin in Gaharu trees. The method is accomplished by developing of wound. chemically, biologically or physically into xylem part of the trees stem. In Malaysia, most of inoculation process is performed by using imported inoculants from neighbor countries and mainly are chemical based, usually require 8 to 12 months to produce quality agar or resin in the trees.