What Is Cedrene?
Article written by
Dipak HemrajHead of Research and Education
Content reviewed by
Dr. Lewis Jassey
Cedrene is a naturally found sesquiterpene responsible for the earthy, sweet, and woody scent of cedarwood, juniper, and cypress trees. It is also found in plants, including Cannabis sativa. Cedrene, mainly found in cedarwood oil, is used to provide fragrance and aroma for perfumes, essential oils, soaps, and other personal care products.
Cedrene could be particularly useful for arthritis, as it could enhance the mass and strength of skeletal muscle. In addition, cedrene has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, analgesic, and anti-cancer qualities.
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What Is Cedrene?
Cedrene, a secondary terpene with a woodsy aromatic profile, is used widely in the beauty and personal care industry due to its natural aroma and skin-loving actions. Cedrene has even been used within the food industry due to its mildly sweet taste and organic flavor.
As a terpene, cedrene is a natural pest repellent, keeping away unwanted pests while also attracting beneficial animals such as pollinators, which allow the tree or plant species to thrive. Cedrene is also a natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent, which enables it to protect the plants and trees in which it is found from disease and infections.
Cedrene’s uses, however, do not stop here. Many recent findings indicate that cedrene can be used therapeutically in different areas. Some of these findings have established that cedrene could be used as an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, analgesic, and anti-cancer and anti-tumor agent.
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Health Benefits of Cedrene
The health benefits of cedrene are widely diverse, with the potential to be an effective treatment for various illnesses and health concerns such as pain, inflammation, bacterial and fungal infections, and even cancer.
Anti-inflammatory
One potential use of cedrene in the therapeutic industry is its potential benefit as an anti-inflammatory agent, which can be used for a wide range of inflammatory pain types such as joint aches and pains from arthritis. This possible use was backed by a 2009 animal study on natural plant oils containing cedrene, which found that cedrene was an effective anti-inflammatory agent. However, as this is an animal study, it is difficult to determine if the anti-inflammatory properties would be as effective in humans.
Anti-bacterial and Anti-fungal
As cedrene has natural anti-microbial abilities, it was tested to determine its effectiveness against various bacteria and fungi. It was found that both alpha-cedrene and beta-cedrene showed positive antimicrobial effects against the pathogens tested and that these were effective at treating infections.
Anti-tumoral and Anti-cancer
Studies show that cedrene may be useful in the fight against cancer, with in vitro studies demonstrating the ability of cedrene to kill tumor cells as well as cancerous cells that target the oral mucosa, liver, and lung when used in combination with cedrol, a sesquiterpene alcohol found in trees such as cypress, cedar and juniper trees.
Analgesic
Cedrene can help with minor aches and pains. An animal study found that cedrene-containing plant oils were an effective pain relief. However, it may not be effective in h, and more research is needed.
Unfortunately, although some benefits demonstrated cedrene’s potential to be effective in treatments for health concerns such as pain and cancer, all studies conducted were in vitro or using animal models. It is difficult to determine if these results would be the same in humans. Therefore, in-depth human trials are needed to confirm if cedrene can be used as a therapeutic agent for these health concerns.
In addition, many studies were conducted using natural tree oils containing compound mixtures. Studies that only use cedrene itself are currently lacking, and more focused studies using cedrene alone are needed to determine its actual therapeutic benefits.
Potential Risks and Side Effects
Cedrene is considered a generally safe natural compound with wide usage in the personal care and food industries. However, in some cases, cedrene has been found to cause contact dermatitis. Therefore, patch testing is recommended for products containing cedrene.
Cedar oil, which contains high concentrations of cedrene, has been found to cause harm when ingested, and it can lead to side effects such as vomiting, nausea, and damage to the digestive system.
Cannabis Strains High in Cedrene
Many cannabis strains (cultivars) contain higher concentrations of the secondary terpene cedrene, resulting in these strains producing a woody and sweet aroma. Some of these cannabis strains have been listed below.
- Banana split
- Jet fuel
- Planet of the grapes
- Dank rainbow
- Primal punch
- Sky runner
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