METHOD FOR PRODUCING SCLAREOL

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of highly-concentrated sclareol extracts and/or of crystalline sclareol from the drug clary sage (Salvia sclarea) which has been freed from essential oils and steamed. According to the invention, the steamed, wet or dry drug is extracted with a 20-70% v/v aliphatic alcohol with 1-3 carbon atoms at 20-87 DEG C, using 10-20 parts of extractant per part of drug, subsequently removing the alcohol content of the extract or reducing it to 10-20%, extracting this solution with an aliphatic hydrocarbon having 5-8 carbon atoms or with a chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon and a) evaporating the resultant organic phase and, if desired, crystallising the resulting sclareol-containing crystal syrup, or b) concentrating the organic phase obtained in the extraction with a chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon and mixing the concentrate with a carrier material, preferably cellite, drying or spray-drying the loaded carrier, subsequently eluting it, and crystallising the substance from the eluate. Sclareol is the starting material for the production of odoriferous substances of the ambergris type.