Pheromones and Perfume

Pheromones can be defined as chemical compounds secreted by living organisms that enable them to communicate with one another. They are also referred to as airborne hormones and are mostly fragrant compounds. In other words, pheromones are secreted to influence the behavior of receiving organisms and can be described as extracorporeal hormones. For example; the queen bee continuously secretes pheromones to regulate hive activity. Worker bees secrete pheromones when foreign bees threaten the hive. Mammals have pheromone receptors in their olfactory mucosa. There are many types of pheromones, including alarm pheromones, food trail pheromones, sex pheromones, and pheromones that affect behavior or physiology. All living organisms, from simple single-celled prokaryotes to complex multicellular eukaryotes, secrete pheromones. Some research indicates that vertebrates and plants communicate through pheromones. A sheep finding its own lamb among dozens of others is also related to pheromones. The attraction or repulsion that occurs between male and female is also explained by pheromones. For example, androstenone secreted by males is thought to be released to appear attractive to females. The female's response to this effector varies according to her menstrual cycle. Depending on sensitivity during ovulation, different effects are observed on women. It has been determined that androstenone is more pleasant to women during ovulation.

Odor Perception

Odor consists of chemical particles, or molecules, that evaporate from objects. The source of the odor we perceive as freshly brewed coffee is the volatile odor molecules from coffee. The intensity of odor is directly proportional to the intensity of evaporation. The reason a fresh cake smells more distinctly than a stale cake is that it releases more odor molecules. With the effect of heat, odor molecules move faster in the air and can spread over a wider area. Substances such as stone, iron, and glass do not smell at room temperature because they do not evaporate. What gives odor its characteristic quality is the structural differences of molecules. For example, what distinguishes a fresh egg from a rotten egg is the different molecules they release into the environment. Odor perception is a complex process that triggers psychological and physiological responses in the central nervous system. Because the olfactory center is near the amygdala, odors are associated with memories and evoke strong emotions. The amygdala participates in the hedonic or emotional processing of olfactory stimuli. Odor can disrupt our concentration, reduce productivity, trigger symptoms, and generally increase discomfort for a particular environment. Odor can influence the liking of a person, place, food, or product. Memories recalled by odors are more powerful than those recalled by visual or auditory cues. Odor is perceived according to the period in which it is experienced and when encountered later can have directed effects on behavior. When a tedious task is performed in a scented room, performance decreases in subsequent tasks performed in the presence of the same odor. Humans and animals express their emotional states through changes in body odor. The odors of the human body directly affect interpersonal relationships. The odors of the human body (pheromones) are the most important physiological basis for behaviors such as mother-infant bonding or partner selection in adults. With the help of odor, mothers can distinguish their children while infants distinguish their mothers from other women. The mother's odor appears to have a calming effect on babies. Body odor not only develops the emotional bond between mother and infant but also affects the child's social and emotional development. Body odors also influence people's choice of friends. Perfumes are used to increase attractiveness. Researchers have discovered that when purchasing perfume, people choose products that interact well with their body odor. The odor of a man is critical importance for a woman's selection of him. Body odor is both a sign of health status and a critical stimulus for friend selection. Studies show that people use their odor senses, which are related to their immune system, to select their friends. An odor can cause the recall of a distant memory. Most memories related to odor usually come from the first ten years of human life. Memories evoked by odor are typically more emotional. When retrieved over time, they are associated with stronger emotions. Generally, they are less deliberated compared to memories evoked by other cues.

Perception of Odors

Generally, rose odors are perceived in the early morning, while jasmine and honeysuckle odors are perceived in the evening and night. This is because plants try to attract their pollinators such as insects, bats, or birds. Plants such as the carnivorous pitcher plant try to attract their prey. Honeysuckle and jasmine plants use their odors to attract pollinating insects. Plant odors are designed to be volatile so they mix into the air for perception by pollinators. The odor compounds produced have low molecular weight to ensure high volatility. The size of the molecule is suitable for detection by pollinator organs. Odor molecules are also affected by where the synthesis takes place. The place where odor is produced depends on where the plant wants to attract and direct its pollinator.

Timing

Odor production is an energy-intensive process. To balance resource use, some plants produce odor chemicals only at certain times of the day. Jasmine produces odor during evening and night hours when its pollinators, moths, are active. The type of odor carried by the breeze changes over time. For this reason, it is important to know both the timing and how to collect odors. Jasmine is used in more than 80% of fragrances in women's perfumes and more than 30% of men's colognes.

What Is This Wonderful Odor?

The chemicals we smell in the air are a mixture of volatile organic compounds and low molecular weight lipophilic liquids. Volatile organic compounds include alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and various other hydrocarbons. More than 1,700 volatile organic compounds from 90 different plant families have been identified. A single flower's odor mixture can contain more than 100 compounds. For example, the intoxicating flowers of Lonicera Japonica, a type of honeysuckle, contain more than 150 volatile compounds. In all flowers, certain odor compounds tend to be dominant. For example, of the 150 volatile components in honeysuckle, the most well-known are linalool, (Z)-jasmine, (Z)-jasmine lactone, methyl jasmonate, and methyl epi-jasmonate.

Conscious Use of the Sense of Smell

The sense of smell is often overlooked as a way of product marketing. The conscious and controlled application of odor is used by designers, scientists, artists, and perfumers. Some applications of odors in environments are used to raise awareness in casinos, hotels, and new automobiles. Vanilla odor is used in some cancer centers to help patients cope with the claustrophobic effects of MR testing. Perfume chemistry has long wanted to benefit from these molecules. In the design of these perfumes, the idea that pheromones affect attraction between genders is utilized. The use of pheromones in new generation perfumes would be appropriate and effective.       Prof. Dr. Nazan Apaydın Demir Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Üniversitesi Kozmetik Ürünler Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi