Dolomiaea costus (Falc.) Kasana & A.K.Pandey syn. Aucklandia costus Falc., Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch.; Aplotaxis lappa Decne. - Asteraceae - 云木香 yun mu xiang (chin.), costus, **Kostuspflanze**, Indische Kostuswurzel 

Critically endangered, erect perennial herb, 1.2-2m high, native in northern India, Kashmir, China, Vietnam; rootstock 1-5 cm in diam.; basal and lower stem leaves petiolate; petiole 10-40 cm, broadly winged and lobate; leaf blade lyrate, cordate, or triangular-hastate, 20-50 × 10-30 cm; upper leaves on the stem smaller; flowers dark blackish purple. [[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=250097338|efloras.org]] [[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77210782-1|Kew]]

The roots have been used as incense since ancient times. The essential oil of the roots, //Costus root oil// (CAS 8023-88-9) is an excellent fixative with sweet woody odor, used in confecting soap and cosmetics. \\
Allergenic components of costus oil, sesquiterpene lactones with α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone structure, could be removed by a procedure involving chemical modificated styrene-divinylbenzene or styrene-acrylonitrile-divinylbenzene resins. \\
[Removal of allergens from natural oils by selective binding to polymer supports. II. Application of aminated resins to isoalantolactone and costus oil. Cheminat, Annie, et al., Canadian Journal of Chemistry, Vol.59(10), 1981, 1405-1414]

"Indian costus root is listed in Appendix I of the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In India, Jammu and Kashmir, this species is considered critically endangered, and in Pakistan, it is considered highly endangered. Wild harvesting for the extraction of the drug is the main reason for the endangerment of this species. It is therefore included in Appendix I of CITES and in Appendix A of Regulation (EC) No. 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein (EC Species Protection Regulation). Without a permit from the competent authority, the import of parts or products from specimens of this species into the EU and any marketing of such parts or products within the EU is therefore prohibited." [[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indische_Kostuswurzel|wikipedia]] \\
From 31 March 2006 fragrances sold in the EU shall no longer contain costus root oil. [[https://web.archive.org/web/20200923171820/http://www.intertek.com/uploadedFiles/Intertek/Divisions/Consumer_Goods/Media/PDFs/Sparkles/2005/sparkle204.pdf|EU Cosmetics Update June 2005]] (archived, retr. 20260201)

"Apart from the well-known constituents (+)-β-selinene, (-)-β-elemen, (+)-β-costol, (-)-caryophyllene, and (-)-elemol the following sesquiterpenoids have been isolated for the first time from costus root oil (Saussurea lappa CLARKE): (-)-α-selinene, (+)-selina-4,11-diene, (-)-α-trans-bergamotene, (-)-α-costol, (+)-γ-costol, (-)-elema-1,3,11(13)-trien-12-ol, (-)-α-costal, (+)-γ-costal, (+)-γ-costal, (-)-elema-1,3,11(13)-trien-12-al (elemenal), (-)-(E)-trans-bergamota-2,12-dien-14-al (bergamotenal), (-)-ar-curcumene, and (-)-caryophyllene oxide. " \\
[Maurer, Bruno, and Alfred Grieder. "Sesquiterpenoids from costus root oil (Saussurea lappa Clarke)." Helvetica chimica acta 60.7 (1977): 2177-2190]

|{{:ionone_alpha_er.jpg| α-ionone}} \\ α-ionone \\ //(sweet woody)// |{{:ionone_beta.jpg|β-ionone}} \\ β-ionone \\ //(sweet woody)//|{{:7z10z13zhexadecatrienal.jpg|(7Z,10Z,13Z)-hexadecatrienal}} \\ (7Z,10Z,13Z)-hexadecatrienal \\ //(seaweed-like)// |{{:bergamotenal.jpg|bergamotenal}} \\ bergamotenal \\ //(strong woody)// |

The most abundant volatile aroma constituent of costus root oil from Korea and China was (7Z,10Z,13Z)-7,10,13-hexadecatrienal (21-23%, with a seaweed-like odor). Other major components were [[http://www.chemblink.com/products/477-43-0.htm|dehydrocostus lactone]] (10%, a sesquiterpene lactone with α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone structure), β-elemene (4-5%), valerenol (4-5%), α-curcumene, α-selinene, α-ionone (2.4-2.9%), (+)-γ-costol, elemol, geranyl acetone (1.1-1.3%), and β-ionone (1.1-1.9%) e.g. \\
[Comparison of Volatile aroma components from Saussurea Lappa CB Clarke Root Oils., Chang, K.M., Kim, G.H., J Food Sci Nutr, Vol.13, 2008, 128-33] [[http://ocean.kisti.re.kr/downfile/volume/kfn/E1FSA3/2008/v13n2/E1FSA3_2008_v13n2_128.pdf|PDF]] 

"Essential oil of S. lappa roots was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry (MS). A total of 39 components of the essential oil of S. lappa roots were identified. The essential oil has higher content of (79.80%) of sesquiterpenoids than monoterpenoids (13.25%). The principal compounds in S. lappa essential oil were dehydrocostus lactone (46.75%), [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costunolide|costunolide]] (9.26%), 8-cedren-13-ol (5.06%), and α-curcumene (4.33%). Based on bioactivity-directed fractionation, dehydrocostus lactone and costunolide were isolated from S. lappa essential oil." \\
[Essential oil composition and larvicidal activity of Saussurea lappa roots against the mosquito Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae). Liu, Zhi Long, et al., Parasitology research, Vol.110(6), 2012, 2125-2130]

"The volatile constituents were isolated from the root of S.costus cultivated in Chamoli district of Uttrarakhand by hydro distillation and were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS)... A total 35 aroma compounds representing about 92.81% of the total composition were identified." An aldehyde, (7Z,10Z,13Z)-7,10,13-hexadecaterienal (25.5%), was a major component, together with dehydrocostus lactone (16.7%), alcohols like elemol (5.84%), γ-costol (1.80%), vulgarol B (3.14%), valerenol (4.20%), and terpinen-4-ol (1.60%). \\
[[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3719259/|Volatile constituents of Saussurea costus roots cultivated in Uttarakhand Himalayas, India., Gwari, G., Bhandari, U., Andola, H.C., Lohani, H., Chauhan, N., Pharmacognosy research, Vol.5(3), 2013, 179]]

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S.costus is one of the endangered Saussurea species in the Indian Himalayan Region that should be prioritized for conservation (in situ and ex situ). \\
[Saussurea species in Indian Himalayan Region: diversity, distribution and indigenous uses. Butola, Jitendra Singh, and Sher S. Samant., International Journal of Plant Biology, Vol1(1), 2010, e9]

"Saussurea costus is a well-known medicinal plant that is frequently prescribed in various indigenous systems of medicines especially those of India, Tibet, China and Korea. Its most widespread traditional uses have been for the treatment of inflammation of the lungs, cough, cold, ulcer and rheumatism. It is a major ingredient of the ‘Brahmyadi Ghana vati’ which is used for hypertensive control." \\
[//Saussurea costus//: Botanical, chemical and pharmacological review of an ayurvedic medicinal plant. Pandey, Madan Mohan, Subha Rastogi, and Ajay Kumar Singh Rawat., Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Vol.110(3), 2007, 379-390] [[http://www2.ups.edu/faculty/bdasher/Chem361/Review_Articles_files/aryvedic%20plant.pdf|PDF]]

{{:saussurea_lappa.jpg?700}} \\
Dolomiaea costus as Aplotaxis lappa Decne. \\
Jacquemont, V., Voyage dans l’Inde pendant les années 1828 à 1832, vol.4(3), t.104 (1844) 
[[http://plantgenera.org/species.php?id_species=910611|plantgenera.org]]

{{:dolomiaea_cos.jpg?700|Dolomiaea costus}} \\
Dolomiaea costus, India (2021) © Rajendra Koranga [[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/|CC BY-SA 4.0]] [[https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?taxon_id=1420140|inaturalist.org]]