ABSTRACT
The East Indian variety has not commercially been available since 2008, as Santalum album is on the endangered species list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Indian law prohibits the export of sandalwood oil. Santalum album L. is a small evergreen tree, which can grow to a height of 20 meters with a girth of up to 2.4 meters. The plant is found distributed in India, Indonesia, New Caledonia, Philippine Islands, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. India used to account for virtually all of the world’s production of sandalwood and its oil. Powder from the heartwood and roots is used to make incense sticks, burnt as perfumes in houses and temples, or is ground into a paste and used as a cosmetic. The oil is also used extensively in the cosmetics industry in the manufacture of soaps, face creams, toilet powders and air fresheners.
