mastic

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mastic
Mastic bush ( Pistacia lentiscus )
Mastic harvest; collecting the dried resin droplets

The mastic (via medium latin mastix of Latin mastichum, mastiche , this of ancient Greek μαστίχη mastiche "mastic" (fragrant resin of mastic, which was used for chewing), such as Latin masticare ( "chew") derived from μαστιχᾶν mastichān ( "with the teeth crunch ") is the resin of the mastic bushes or small trees ( Pistacia lentiscus ). It is produced by the drying and hardening of the resin balm that emerges from the bushes or trees. Mastic ( modern Greek μαστίχα mastícha ) is known in Greece as the tears of Chios . The word “mastic” is a synonym for rubber in many languages, e.g. “ mastic asphalt ” ( mastic asphalt ).

history

Mastic resin was already known in ancient Egypt and was used there for the mummification of the dead and as a component of kyphi , a special incense mixture for the temple cult of that time. Mastic is also mentioned by Herodotus , Theophrast , Galen and Dioscurides (in his work De materia medica , No. 90) as well as in the Bible ( Gen 37.25  EU , Gen 43.11  EU ). In ancient times it was used for stomach problems, stomach ulcers, heartburn, inflammation, and the like. a. Also recommended for the skin and mucous membrane ( aphthae , periodontal disease, inflammation of the gums, skin, pimples, acne), for rheumatic complaints and for wound treatment. It is mentioned in early modern pharmacopoeias as a tooth whitener and a component of tooth powder and other oral care products.

In the Lucca manuscript , the production of a painting varnish from mastic together with other resins dissolved in linseed oil is mentioned. Until the 19th century, when it was "replaced" by the dam's varnish , mastic dissolved in turpentine was the most important finishing varnish in European panel painting .

Cultivation

The mastic bush or tree grows particularly in southern Europe and Palestine and is grown on the Greek island of Chios and on the Turkish Çeşme peninsula. A mastic plant does not produce resin until it is 5 years old.

In July, August and September the bark of the mastic plants is scratched so that the resin balm can run out. White lime dust is scattered around the base of the plant or leaves, stone slabs are laid out so that the resin droplets can be collected from a clean surface. The resin balm must remain on the floor for about two weeks until it becomes so firm that it can be worked on. The essential oil of the resin balm has then evaporated and the resin remains. They are small, light yellow to greenish yellow, irregular, spherical to pear-shaped, transparent or opaque, hard, glassy fragments. It is a clear, teardrop-shaped soft resin of very different quality. Mastic comes on the market as

  • Mastic electa (light yellow, the size of a pea), the best variety.
  • Mastic in lacrimis
  • Natural mastic , -in Sortis (brownish), contaminated with sand, etc.
  • less good goods (very dark)

To obtain one kilogram of the coveted resin, you have to scratch about ten plants. In 2004, one kilogram of mastic fetched around 85 euros on the market. The quality of the Chios mastic and that of the Levant is the best for oil painting . It becomes soft at just under 40 ° C and can be dissolved whole in turpentine oil and alcohol , with residues in gasoline . It dries out harder than dam varnish and is used like this. Bad quality yellowed.

The largest European producer of mastic is the Greek island of Chios.

In 2012, a forest and field fire destroyed 40% of the mastic plants on the island.

In the trade you can also find:

American mastic (Aroeire resin) Schinus molle , Schinus areira , Schinus terebinthifolia as well as Indian or Bombay mastic Pistacia atlantica subsp. cabulica , Pistacia khinjuk . Similar resins can be found from North Africa from Pistacia terebinthus and from Syria, Persia from Pistacia vera , these are similar to real mastic, but are of a different quality. Pseudomastix comes from the roots and the fleshy flower bases of Carlina gummifera (Syn .: Chamaeleon gummifer , Atractylis gummifera ).

Mastic is also adulterated with other resins ( rosin , sandarak , spruce resin, etc.).

As Wrong or yellow mastic is Sideroxylon foetidissimum referred, although the type comes no resin.

Components

Mastic contains about 40% resin acids masticonic acid , about 50% resins masticoresene and 2% essential oils. Mastic begins to soften at 80 ° C and melts at around 105 ° C.

The main components of the resin are triterpenic acids : masticadienonic acid , isomasticadienonic acid , oleanolic acid and triterpenic alcohol : tirucallol . In addition, other triterpenes, including a previously unknown bicyclic triterpene diol, as well as compounds of the dammaran , malbarican and polypodan types as well as nortriterpenes were detected.

The proportion of essential oil is 1 to 3%. Around 90% of it consists of monoterpenes, of which α-pinene and β-pinene make up the majority with more than 75%. A total of over 70 components were detected, including a significant amount of myrcene (approx. 14%), trans - caryophyllene , linalool , camphene , verbenone , pinocarveol , limonene , and tricyclic .

use

Mastic is used

literature

  • Lucien F. Trueb, Ulrich Wyss: Mastix from Chios - a coveted tree resin . In: Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau . tape 59 , no. 6 , 2006, ISSN  0028-1050 , p. 297-302 ( abstract ).
  • S. Paraschos, S. Mitakou, AL Skaltsounis: Chios gum mastic: A review of its biological activities. In: Current Medicinal Chemistry . Volume 19, Number 14, 2012, pp. 2292-2302. PMID 22414110 (Review).
  • E. Rößlin: Kreuterbuch / Of natural use and thorough use. C. Egenolff, Frankfurt am Main (1550). (Digitized version of the University and State Library of Saxony-Anhalt, Halle (Saale) 2010).
  • C. von Gogler: Renewed house and field pharmacy. M. Hallervord, Franckfurt am Mayn (1674). (Digitized version of the University and State Library of Saxony-Anhalt, Halle (Saale) 2013).

Web links

Commons : Mastic (plant resin)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Alois Walde : Latin etymological dictionary. 3rd edition, obtained from Johann Baptist Hofmann , 3 volumes. Heidelberg 1938-1965, Volume 1, p. 47 ( mastic (h) ē , mastix ).
  2. ↑ Mastix at Spektrum.de.
  3. ↑ G. Arends, H. Zörnig, G. Frerichs: Hagers Handbook of Pharmaceutical Practice. Second volume: K – Z , Springer, 1938, 1949, ISBN 978-3-642-49483-3 (Reprint), p. 142 f, limited preview in the Google book search.
  4. ↑ E. Rößlin: Kreuterb ° uch / Of natural use / and thorough use. C. Egenolff, Frankfurt am Main (1550). Online edition: University and State Library of Saxony-Anhalt, Halle (Saale) 2010: Mastir gekewet makes weisse zän / and reynigt the head of bad damp.
  5. ↑ C. von Gogler: Renewed house and field pharmacy. M. Hallervord, Franckfurt am Mayn (1674). Online edition: University and State Library Saxony-Anhalt, Halle (Saale) 2013: To clean the teeth / and to fix the gums.
  6. ↑ Major fire on the Aegean island of Chios on orf.at, accessed July 25, 2016.
  7. ↑ Sotirios Paraschos et al .: Quality profile determination of Chios mastic gum essential oil and detection of expansion in mastic oil products with the application of chiral and non-chiral GC-MS analysis. In: Fitoterapia . 114, 2016, pp. 12–17, (online ( memento of the original dated November 6, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice . , PDF; 303 kB). @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / fulltext.study
  8. ↑ Mastix as a spice on recipesandmore.de, accessed on November 6, 2016.
  9. ↑ Jan Kohlmorgen: The medieval equestrian shield . Historical development from 975 to 1350 and instructions for building a battle-ready shield. Karfunkel-Verlag, Wald-Michelbach 2002, ISBN 3-935616-10-4 .