Essential Oils - Tonka Bean

Tonka bean oil comes from the fruits of the dipteryx odorata, or the Dutch Tonka tree. It is native to Brazil and Guyana and is now cultivated in Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Martinique and parts of West Africa (particularly Nigeria). Dutch Tonka is a very large tropical tree, growing to more than 150 feet at times, with large, elliptical leaves.
Etymology
The word tonka is taken from the Galibi (Carib) tongue spoken by natives of French Guinea; it also appears in Tupi, another language of the same region, as the name of the tree. The old genus name, Couma-rouna, was formed from another Tupi name of the tonka tree, kumarú. The latter also lies behind the name of tonka's main constituent, coumarin.
Extraction
Tonka beans, sometimes referred to as tonquin beans, are taken from the fruit of the Tonka tree, which is a pod about 2 inches long and contains a single seed in each pod. The beans are cured by soaking in rum for twenty-four hours, and are then dried - this is the fermentation process. Once dry, the coumarin crystals become quite visible on the surface of the bean.
An absolute is obtained through solvent extraction of the cured beans. The result is a solid mass of pale amber or pale brownish yellow color consisting of 20 to 45 percent coumarin.
The Coumarin Factor
Coumarin was banned in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration as a food additive in 1940, due to studies showing liver toxicity. There is also some evidence that it may be carcinogenic. In addition, the EU Scientific Committee for Food carried out an extensive study review of the toxicology of coumarin in 1994. They concluded that coumarin was carcinogenic in rats when taken orally, and possibly in mice as well. Therefore, in many countries, it is no longer used as a flavoring, except in tobacco. Natural coumarin has been almost completely replaced by a synthetic product.
Sweet Vanilla
Tonka beans make for a surprising alternative to vanilla in ice cream, custard and soufflé. Typically, a few beans suffice to flavor one kilogram of these desserts. Because of its resemblance to the scent of vanilla, tonka extract is sometimes passed off as vanilla oil.
Aromatherapy & Other Uses
Seeds soaked in rum are used by the Créoles for snakebites, shampoos, contusions and rheumatism. The "Wayãpi" use the bark decoction as antipyretic baths, and the "Palikur" use it as fortifying baths for infants and children.
Brazilians make a cough pill by balling up the crushed seed. Elsewhere, it is used as anticoagulant,antitussive, cardiotonic, diaphoretic, febrifuge, fumigant, narcotic, and stimulant.