Sichuan Pepper CO2 ABS

Natural Ingredient Overview

• 🏭 Manufacturer: Robertet

• 🔎 Botanical Name: Zanthoxylum schinifolium

• 📂 CAS N°: 8008-20-6

• 🌍 Origin: China (Sichuan region), extracted in France

• 📝 Odor Type: Spicy, Citrus

• 📈 Odor Strength: Medium to high

• 👃🏼 Odor Profile: Spicy-lemony with grapefruit sweetness, animalic hints, bitter-petitgrain nuance, mild metallic background, and green vetiver-like effects

• ⚗️ Uses: Top/heart note modifier, zesty accent for citrus colognes, spicy orientals, fougères

• 🧴 Appearance: Yellow to orange viscous absolute

What is Sichuan Pepper CO₂ Absolute?

Sichuan Pepper CO₂ Absolute is derived from the supercritical CO₂ extraction of sun-dried Zanthoxylum schinifolium berries. Unlike black pepper (Piper nigrum), this species belongs to the Rutaceae family—shared with citrus—and is known for its tingling, anesthetic-like mouthfeel and citrus-aromatic volatile profile.

The extract is not a steam-distilled oil, but a dense absolute obtained through closed-loop supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) using carbon dioxide (CO₂). This technique preserves the delicate citrus-spice balance of the raw botanical while eliminating solvent residues.

Key compound families include:

• Monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes (lemony-spicy facets)

• Alkylamides, including hydroxy-α-sanshool, linked to both aroma and sensory effects

• Trace constituents with metallic and green facets (similar to petitgrain)

Olfactory Profile & Perfumery Applications

👃🏼 Scent Breakdown:

• Top: Zesty citrus, grapefruit sweetness, lemon peel

• Heart: Spicy-green, peppery with vetiver pairing

• Base hint: Metallic, bitter-aromatic with animalic accent

⚗️ Functional Roles:

• Enhances fresh top notes in citrus, herbal, and green fougère structures

• Modifies heart notes with warm spice and bittersweet floral tension

• Adds naturalistic complexity to grapefruit and aromatic accords

• Pairs well with petitgrain, blackcurrant bud, elemi, lavender, and metallic ozonics

Industrial & Technical Uses

• Fine fragrance: Used as a top-to-heart connector in spicy-fresh and modern aromatic compositions

• Functional fragrance: Effective in masking aldehydic sharpness in air care or laundry care

• Culinary perfumery (non-ingestive): Occasionally used in non-edible gourmet-inspired fragrances

🧪 Stability:

• Stable in ethanol and neutral-pH systems

• High oxidative and thermal resilience due to CO₂ extraction

• Viscous absolute (requires dilution for dosing)

Regulatory & Safety Overview

• IFRA: Permitted under current IFRA 51st Amendment (refer to Category limits for spice oils)

• EU Allergens: Not listed among the 26 declarable allergens

• ECHA (REACH): Registered; not classified as hazardous

• Toxicology:

  • Naturally contains alkylamides (e.g., hydroxy-α-sanshool) with sensory-modulating properties

  • No sensitization or phototoxicity noted at typical perfumery dosages

  • Not PBT or vPvB; biodegradable under standard aerobic conditions

✅ Safe and suitable for fine and functional fragrance use under typical formulation levels.

Additional Information

⚗️ Botanical Clarification

Despite the term “pepper,” Zanthoxylum schinifolium does not belong to the Piperaceae family (true peppers), but to Rutaceae, the citrus family. Its berries, green when fresh, are not spicy-hot like Piper nigrum, but tingling and citrusy, due to the presence of alkylamides and terpenoids. This chemical distinction supports its dual profile: both spicy and lemony, with floral and bitter-petitgrain elements.

🌿 Phytochemical Activity

Contains hydroxy-α-sanshool, responsible for the signature tingling and mild anesthetic effect. Known for:

• Sensory modulation in flavor and fragrance

• Topical effects in cosmetic formulations (soothing, anti-itch, potential firming)

• Traditional medicinal use for toothaches and digestion (non-cosmetic claim)

🧪 Extraction Technology: Supercritical CO₂

Supercritical extraction (SFE) is a solvent-free method where CO₂ becomes supercritical above 31.1 °C and 73.8 bar. It penetrates plant tissue like a gas, but dissolves lipophilic compounds like a liquid. The result is a clean extract, free from oxidized residues or heat-degraded volatiles. CO₂ is fully recycled in a closed-loop system, meeting green chemistry principles.

Sources

• Characterization of Zanthoxylum Oils – Zhi-Feng Zhao et al.

• Aroma Constituents – Xiaogen Yang et al.

• Cool Peppercorns – Matvey Yudov (Fragrantica)

• Firmenich Material Data: PE 974611-0

• Supercritical Fluids in Extraction – E. Ibáñez et al.

• Scentspiracy Technical Archive – Fulvio Ciccolo, 2023

• Encyclopedia of Zanthoxylum – Oxford Herbaria Database

• CosmeticsDesign.com – Sichuan Pepper Skin Applications (2011)

• Sylvaine Delacourte Blog – Pepper in Perfumery

• Bon Parfumeur & Michelin Guide Blog – Spices and Citrus in Modern Fragrance