Chemical Constituents

Question 1

Beta caryophyllene

Answer 1

Sesquiterpene
anti inflammatory
reduced stomach cell damage from alcohol poisoning (rats / orally)
better than standard non steroidal anti inflammatory preparations as it does not damage the gastric mucosa

Question 2

Caryophyllene

keri oh fill ene

Answer 2

anti-depressant and anti-anxiety properties

• appeared to be anti-compulsive when tested on laboratory animals - inhibits the growth of myelogenous leukemia cells (Lampronti et a12006)
• is a weak skin allergen, however is non-toxic; non-mutagenic and antitumoral

Question 3

Germacrene D

germ-a-Green

Answer 3

Sesquiterpene

• antimicrobial and insecticidal properties.
• reduces inflammation caused by insect stings / bites and for histaminic reactions.
• activates a major olfactory receptor neuron on the antennae of the hekiothine moths

Question 4

Limonene

li – mon – een

Answer 4

Monoterpene

• Drying effect on the skin and mucus membranes
• anti- cancer effects
• increases the levels of liver enzymes involved in detoxifying carcinogens. The Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is a system which eliminates carcinogens. - Limonene seems to promote the GST system in the liver and small bowel, thereby decreasing the damaging effects of carcinogens.
• Animal studies demonstrated that dietary limonene reduced mammary tumor growth

Question 5

Linalool

Answer 5

Monoterpenol

• for sleep, reduction of anxiety, and analgesic properties.
• may have a spasmolytic (muscle relaxation) effect and pain reducing effect on rats
• an anti-inflammatory

Question 6

Linalyl acetate

lin-a-lull

Answer 6

Ester

• anti-spasmodic and sedating.
• also thought to regulate the sympathetic nervous system and the neuro-endocrine system

Question 7

Methyl chavicol

Answer 7

Phenol

• antispasmodic effect on smooth muscles of the intestines and genitourinary tract
• appears to block skeletal muscle contraction when applied topically
• anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties

Question 8

Terpinen-4-ol

Answer 8

Monoterpenol

• very anti-infectious and antifungal (rivals commercial disinfectants but has advantage of being mild on skin and mucus membranes)
• effective against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans (Carson and Riley 1995) - the only constituent tested that was active against Psuedomonas aeruginosa, Budhiraja et al., (1999), because it activates monocytes, the white blood cells involved in the immune response to infection