Mr Robb said the laurelleaf was chosen as a basis for the design to reference Falkirk's rich Roman heritage, he also said the leaf's role as a victory symbol was particularly apt, given the local community's success in regenerating the area's woodland.
Eugenol, a methoxyphenol found in various essential oils such as clove, bay laurel, cinnamon leaf, and rosemary, appears to be a particulary effective peorxynitrites scavenger (the methyl group binds to peroxynitrites and the phenol group converts it into water and a nitrogen dioxide anion).