ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To identify five kinds of natural fragrant adhesives on the market and evaluate their performance for making joss stick. METHODS: The common fragrance-making adhesives on the market were collected and their primitives were identified by DNA barcode technology. Five kinds of agarwood incenses (standard φ: 1.5 mm, L: 18 cm) were made by the traditional method. The performance indexes such as color, viscosity, weight, burning time, the burning rate, odor, ash weigh and so on were determined. RESULTS: Five common natural adhesives were identified to be Ulmus glabra, Litsea glutinosa (Lour.) C.B. Rob, Phoebe puwenensis Cheng, Machilus balansae (Airy Shaw) F.N. Wei and S.C. Tang, and Endlicheria sp.. Nanmu powder was better than the other adhesives in burning time, burning rate, odor, and ash weigh. Combustion experiments showed that the heavier the weight and the bigger the diameter, the longer the burning time. CONCLUSION: The five common plant adhesives are identified. Nanmu powder is the best in all the adhesives. The burning time of joss stick is proportional to its weight, length and diameter.