Oleolites or medicated oils

Oleolites: What are they?

The oleolite is a pharmaceutical preparation that uses oil as a solvent to extract liposoluble active ingredients by cold maceration. The fresh drug, appropriately minced, is left to soak in vegetable oil, usually of sweet almonds, grapeseed, sunflower or olive, for several days. After filtration, an oleolite is obtained, a medicated oil rich in liposoluble substances extracted from the drug, such as essential oils.

A classic example of oleolita is represented by the oil with chili pepper, used to flavor dishes such as pizza; vegetable oil, in this case, also extracts capsaicin from the chili pepper, a fat-soluble substance largely responsible for its spicy taste.

Loans

In herbal medicine the oleolites are mainly used externally, also for frictions or massages: applied to the skin they constitute an oily film on the skin surface, which can have various purposes: emollients, soothing, anti-inflammatory and healing (like the oleolite of hypericum or calendula), or still anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic for sports massages (such as the arnica oleolite).

In the group of medicated oils, oleolites must also be included for rhinobalsamic instillations: rich in essential oils, they must be applied on a cotton pad (a few drops) or diluted in hot water (suffumigi).

storage

Oleoliths are subject to rancidity, which can reflect on the stability of certain active principles dissolved in them; it is therefore advisable to keep them in a cool place, in closed containers, protected from light and heat sources.