Aquilaria is a wood doesn't different from other woods. What makes it different is a special constution that create something from his flesh "Agarwood". From ancient times agarwood used on incense for excorcise and cure for ilnesses that's why in some ancient scripts Agarwood called as Heavenly Wood. First-grade agarwood can cost as much as $100,000 per kilogram
What is Agarwood
Agarwood is a resinous heartwood that sometimes occurs in trees belonging to the genus Aquilaria (Thymelaeceae family).
Aquilaria is a fast-growing, archaic subtropical forest tree
Population range stretching from South Asia’s Himalayan foothills, throughout Southeast Asia, and into the rainforests of Papua New Guinea.
It grows at elevations from a few meters above sea level to about 1000 meters, with approx. 500 meters being most ideal.
Aquilaria can grow on a wide range of soils, including poor sandy soil.
Seedlings require a great deal of shade and water but will grow rapidly, producing flowers and seeds as early as four years old.
At least fifteen species of Aquilaria are known to produce the much sought-after agarwood.
In South Asia, particularly India, Aquilaria achalloga is found. Aquilaria malaccensis is mostly known from Malaysia and Indonesia, while Aquilaria crassna grows primarily in Indochina. A number of others are also known, such as Aquilaria grandfolia, Aquilaria chinesis etc., though these are relatively minor species for agarwood production.
How Agarwood is Producing
Aquilaria malaccensis is a tree native to the rainforests of southeast Asia. Prior to infection, the healthy heartwood inside Aquilaria trees is pale, odorless, and worthless. However,
In the wild, damage to the tree by external forces, such as grazing animals, sporadically
Results in the growth of a specific type of fungal infection inside the tree called Phialophora parasitica.
The Aquilaria's defense to this attack is to produce a stress-induced aromatic resin called aloes, which is dark and moist.
Over the course of several years, the aloes slowly embed into the heartwood to create agarwood.
Why Agarwood is Expensive
Chief reason for uncommonness and high cost is the depletion of the wild forests. It is surprising to know that less than 2% of wild agar tree is produced globally. Certain specialists state that the finest Agarwood extracted from very old trees, which are even rarer.
Best Agarwood taken from wild is used on Oil industry for making perfume and that's difference in supply and demand ratio while supply lowering with quality, high quality agarwood's price rocket up that's the main reason.
Where Agarwood Used
Agarwood is used for incense, perfume, traditional medicine, and other products in the world market.
What are the Benefits of Agarwood
East Asian Medicine: Agarwood is prescribed in traditional East Asian medicine to promote the flow of qi, relieve pain, arrest vomiting by warming the stomach, and to relieve asthma (Anon., 1995a).
Chinese Medicine: High-grade agarwood powder is prescribed in Chinese medicine (Yaacob, 1999).
High grade agarwood powder is also used in the production of pharmaceutical tinctures (Heuveling van Beek and Phillips, 1999).
Use as Liniment: Malaysians use agarwood mixed with coconut oil as a liniment. Likewise Indians and chinese also use agarwood oil in their traditional medicine as a liniment for the treatment of various skin diseases. (Burkill (1966))
Rheumatism: Agarwood oil is used in a boiled concoction to treat rheumatism and other body pain.(Burkill)
Jaundice: Often-discarded uninfected wood is used as Kayu gaharu lemppong by Malaysians to treat jaundice and body pains. (Chakrabarty et al. (1994))
Smallpox and Abdominal Pain: Agarwood has been noted for its use as a complex ointment for smallpox and for various abdominal complaints. (1930, cited in Chakrabarty et al., 1994)
Pleurisy: Its use for the treatment of pleurisy is referenced in the Ayurvedic medicinal text the Susruta Samhita.
Nervous System Disorders: When used in aromatherapy, agarwood oil may help to treat anxiety, stress, depression and other nervous system disorders.
Liver and Kidney: Agarwood oil is used to treat cirrhosis of the liver and kidney problems.
Lung and Stomach Tumours:
Agarwood oil is used in the treatment of lung and stomach tumours.
Carminative Diuretic: Agarwood oil is also used a carminative diuretic.
The Indian Council: The Indian Council summarizes the properties of agarwood as follows: “Agarwood is considered stimulant, antiasthmatic, carminative, tonic, aphrodisiac and astringent. It is used in diarrhoea, dysentery, gout, rheumatism and paralysis.
The Cropwatch Organisation: The Cropwatch Organisation similarly lists acknowledged merits of agarwood in Asian medical praxis as “warming,” “to relieve stuck energy particularly in the digestive and respiratory systems,” “to alleviate pain,” and “balancing effects” on “nervous and emotional disorders.”
Middle East and Bangladesh: In Egypt, Arabia and throughout the northeast part of Bangladesh, agarwood is described as a stimulant, cardiac tonic and carminative (Bhuiyan et al., 2009).
China and Japan: It is used as a traditional sedative, analgesic and digestive medicine in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine (Abdullah et al., 2007; Liu et al., 2008).
Assam: The water portion obtained as distillate after separating the oud oil during distillation process is used at present in Assam as an efficient stimulant and tonic fo the treatment of mental disorder and malnutrition
Miscellaneous: The oud oil is used to treat illness during and after childbirth; to relieve spasms especially in the digestive and respiratory systems, abdominal pain, asthma, cancer (used as a general tonic), colic, chest congestion, diarrhea, hiccups, nausea, nerves and treatment of regurgitation (Burkill, 1966; Chakrabarty et al., 1994; Kim et al., 1997; Barden et al., 2000; Bhuiyan et al., 2009).
Agarwood is also prescribed for dropsy, as a carminative, a stimulant, for heart palpitations, and as a tonic taken particularly during pregnancy, after childbirth and for diseases of female genital organs (Chakrabarty et al., 1994).