Rechercher
Fragrance No. 2011
"Tis a rock ! A peak ! A cape ! No, more than a cape : A peninsula !"… "What a fine sign for a perfume shop !" In his famous syntactic joust, Cyrano praises his nasal organ and, consequently, the sense it is associated with : olfaction.
The perfume reveals itself in a subtle language, both as a precursor of present aromatherapy and an artifice of seduction. Like Proust’s madeleine, it fleetingly yet intensely conjures up memories that one thought forever lost, where mind, smell, emotion and memory are all intimately linked.
For a long time, olfaction remained the poor relative in the study of senses. Except for chemists involved in the field of aromas and perfumes, who strive to unveil its secrets. Such a veil was lifted in 1991 with the publication of Richard Axel and Linda B. Buck [1] on the family of genes that encode the various olfactory receptors.
For their part, the chemists from Nice have gained a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the peripheral chemoreception of odours, their perception, as well as their cognitive and behavioural incidences. We are now witnessing the emergence of innovative applications, particularly in the field of production of modifiers (enhancers or inhibitors) with a more or less broad spectrum of olfactory and gustatory perception. Regardless, the search for new fragrances remains a quest for the Holy Grail. The perfume industry and ever more sensual creative compositions still have a bright future ahead of them. And the perfume to proclaim loud and clear : "At the envoi’s end, I touch !"
Laboratoire de chimie des molécules bioactives et des arômes, CNRS-Université de Nice
[1] Nobel Prize 2004 in physiology and medicine.
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