Phytochemistry of the heartwood from fragrant Santalum species: a review

A comprehensive review is presented on the constituents of the heartwood from fragrant sandalwood species, including Santalum album, S. spicatum and S. austrocaledonicum, which are important raw materials in the fragrance industry, and S. insulare, a closely related species. Analytical aspects are discussed in detail, both on qualitative and quantitative standpoints, and sensory properties are also reviewed. It is shown that more than 230 constituents have been identified so far in the heartwood of these sandalwood species. These components belong to many different chemical classes and are mainly terpenoids, but some other families are also represented. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.