Terpene: Terpineol

Terpene: Terpineol(α-T) is a monocyclic monoterpene tertiary alcohol with a pleasant scent similar to lilac. Therefore, it is widely used in the manufacturing of perfumes, cosmetics, soaps, antiseptic agents and is considered one of the most frequently used fragrant compounds. In addition, Terpineol possesses a wide range of biological actions which attract great interest in the medicinal field.

Aroma: floral, lime, and citrus

Two recent studies from Iran are of interest. Pretreatment with α-terpineol 5–20 mg/kg ip significantly reduced jumping behavior typical of withdrawal effect in mice rendered morphine-dependent (Parvardeh, Moghimi, Eslami, & Masoudi, 2016), while 20–40 mg/kg ip doses reduced the development of tolerance to morphine analgesia. These results suggest possible synergy of this ingredient with other cannabis components attenuating addiction: CBD and BCP (Russo, 2011).

Fun facts: Its annual consumption is estimated to be approximately 9.2 tons, which represents an individual intake of 17.2 μg/kg/day in the US.

Sources: cannabis, lilac trees, pine trees, lime blossoms, clary sage, coriander, lemon, star anise, mandarin orange, rosemary, lavender, juniper, eucalyptus.