본드&걸2011.04.01 12:54
아, 궁금했는데 ... 이거였군요. 위키에서 퍼 옵니다.
"Phytoncides are antimicrobial allelochemic volatile organic compounds derived from plants. The word, which means "exterminated by the plant", was coined in 1937 by Dr. Boris P. Tokin, a Russian biochemist from Leningrad University. He found that some plants give off very active substances which prevent them from rotting or being eaten by some insects and animals. Various spicesoniongarlictea treeoak and pinetrees, and many other plants give off phytoncides. Oak contains a substance called greenery alcohol; garlic contains allicin and diallyl disulfide; and pine contains alpha-pinenecarenemyrcene and other terpenes. More than 5000 volatile substances defend the surrounding plants frombacteriafungi and insects. Phytoncides work by preventing the growth of the attacking organism.

They are widely used in Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese and Japanese medicine, including holistic medicinearomatherapy, and veterinary medicine.

In TaiwanSouth Korea and Japan, people commonly engage in so-called forest bathing to breathe in phytoncides emitted by plant and trees, in order to improve their health."

기본적으로 어떤 종류의 식물이 자기를 보호하기 위해 내어 뿜는 물질로서, 식물이 썩거나 곤충 혹은 짐승에게 먹혀지는 것을 방지하는 것이군요. 그렇다면 사람에게 좋은 것일까요? 흠....