Balsam Fir Christmas Tree Pruning.jpg

Balsam is the resinous exudate (or sap) which forms on certain kinds of trees and shrubs. Balsam (from Latin balsamum "gum of the balsam tree", ultimately from Semitic, Aramaic ''busma'', Arabic ''balsam'' and Hebrew ''basam'', "spice", "perfume") owes its name to the biblical Balm of Gilead.

Chemistry

Balsam is a Solution (chemistry), solution of plant-specific resins in plant-specific solvents (essential oils). Such resins can include resin acids, esters, or Alcohol (chemistry), alcohols. The exudate is a mobile to highly viscous liquid and often contains crystallized resin particles. Over time and as a result of other influences the exudate loses its liquidizing components or gets chemically converted into a solid material (i.e. by autoxidation).

Some authors require balsams to contain benzoic acid, benzoic or cinnamic acid or their esters. Plant resins are sometimes classified according to other plant constituents in the mixture, for example as:
* pure resins (guaiac, hashish),
* gum-resins (containing Natural gum, gums/polysaccharides),
* oleo-gum-resins (a mixture of gums, resins and essential oils),
* oleo-resins (a mixture of resins and essential oils, e. g. capsicum, ginger and aspidinol),
* balsams (resinous mixtures that contain cinnamic acid, cinnamic and/or benzoic acid or their esters),
* glycoresins (podophyllin, jalap, kava kava),
* fossil resins (amber, asphaltite, Utah resin).

Usually, animal secretions (musk, shellac, beeswax) are excluded from this definition.

The Balsam of Matariyya

The Balsam of Matariyya was a substance famous as a panacea among physicians in the Middle East and Europe during the Antique and Medieval periods. The substance has long been used as a medicine, with early references to the substance recorded as far back as 285 BC. The Balsam of Matariyya was said to be derived from an Egyptian plant and is sometimes also referred to as the balm of Gilead or the balm of Mecca.

List of balsams

* Acaroid resin (''Xanthorrhoea'' spp.)
* Acouchi balsam (''Protium (plant), Protium'' spp.)
* Ammoniacum
* Asafoetida (Laser (resin), Laser)
* Balm of Gilead
* Balm of Mecca
* Balsam fir - (''Abies balsamea'')
* Balsam of Peru
* Balsam of Tolu
* Balsam Specific
* Bisabol
* Bdellium
* Benzoin resin
* Bukhoor
* Cabreuva balsam (''Myrocarpus frondosus'', ''Myrocarpus fastigatus'')
* Camphor
* Canada balsam
* Chinese lacquer (Japanese lacquer)
* Balsam of copaiba, Copaiba balsam (''Copaifera'' spp.)
* Copal
* Corneiba balsam (''Schinus terebinthifolius'' or ''Lithraea brasiliensis'')
* Damar gum, Damar
* Dragon's blood (''Calamus draco'')
* Elemi
* Frankincense (Olibanum)
* Galbanum
* Guayac (''Guaiacum officinale'')
* Guggul
* Gurjun balsam
* Imbauba balsam (''Cecropia adenopus'')
* Labdanum
* Mastic (plant resin), Mastic
* Myrrh
* Obira balsam (Apocynaceae)
* ''Opopanax (genus), Opopanax''
* Umiri balsam (''Humiria floribunda'')
* Rosin (Colophony)
* Sagapenum
* Sandarac
* Sarcocolla
* Storax balsam
* Turpentine
* Venice turpentine (Larch turpentine) (''Larix occidentalis'')
* Wallaba balsam (''Eperua'' spp.)

Safety

Some balsams, such as Balsam of Peru, may be associated with Allergy, allergies. In particular, Euphorbia latex ("wolf's milk") is strongly irritant and is cytotoxic.

See also

* Basamum

References

{{Authority control

Resins
Plant products