CONSTITUENT REPORT
beta-Bisabolene
Beta-bisabolene is a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon found across ginger, chamomile, copaiba, palo santo, and other essential-oil profiles in the AromaForge archive. The strongest public evidence is split between identity and biosynthesis work, archive-level occurrence data, and a small preclinical literature that reports antimicrobial synergy, antioxidant activity, and cancer-cell cytotoxicity. Human clinical evidence and dedicated fragrance-safety monographs for isolated beta-bisabolene remain sparse, so this record should stay chemistry-first and evidence-tiered carefully.
Chemical identity and composition
PubChem lists beta-bisabolene as C15H24. Public archive oil records place it as a recurrent minor-to-moderate sesquiterpene in materials such as Siam wood, Roman chamomile, ginger, copaiba, palo santo, and opopanax, with especially clear ISO-backed ginger occurrence and a 1.1% Siam wood batch record inside the archive.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded woody, spicy, warm, terpenic descriptors to explore a blend's scent character; perceived strength also depends on the other ingredients.
- Review the flagged use concerns across every contributing oil and the selected dilution.
- Read the route, preparation and experimental context before using a study finding to choose an oil.
Reported benefits and effects
Findings retain their study context. An animal or laboratory result describes that experiment.
A ginger biosynthesis study identified ZoTps1 as an (S)-beta-bisabolene synthase expressed in young rhizomes.
The abstract reports exclusive production of (S)-beta-bisabolene in the recombinant system and rhizome-biased transcript detection.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
An opoponax-derived beta-bisabolene study reported selective cytotoxicity in human and murine breast cancer cell lines and reduced transplanted 4T1 tumor volume in vivo.
The authors attributed the effect to apoptosis-associated loss of viability and reported a 37.5% reduction in tumor volume by endpoint.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A Psammogeton canescens essential-oil paper reported strong antioxidant activity for isolated beta-bisabolene and linked the parent oil to antimicrobial activity.
The abstract specifically reports beta-bisabolene antioxidant activity at 14 +/- 0.8 ug/mL.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A Staphylococcus aureus study reported synergistic bactericidal activity between beta-bisabolene and ampicillin.
The paper identified beta-bisabolene as the main active compound from Eremanthus erythropappus oil in the synergy assay.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
Use concerns and concentration limits
Sensitization concernFlagged
Flagged in the constituent reference; assess the source, route and finished-product concentration.
Phototoxicity concernNot flagged
Not flagged in the current model. This is not proof of absence or unrestricted safety.
Oxidation concernNot flagged
Not flagged in the current model. This is not proof of absence or unrestricted safety.
Penetration enhancementNot flagged
Not flagged in the current model. This is not proof of absence or unrestricted safety.
No numeric constituent-specific use limit is available here. Missing is not an unrestricted-use clearance.
No constituent-specific IFRA leave-on limit, modern dermal sensitization dataset, or phototoxicity monograph for isolated beta-bisabolene was located in the reviewed public sources.
This reference does not establish a therapeutic result or a safe use level for a custom oil blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
Most public bioactivity data are preclinical and do not establish safe or effective human use of isolated beta-bisabolene.
This reference does not establish a therapeutic result or a safe use level for a custom oil blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
Constituents it may interact with
These are research candidates recorded in the interaction matrix. They do not add a proven-amplification bonus to the score.
gamma-TerpineneAmplification candidate
Candidate in the research matrix. A coefficient alone does not establish amplification at the dose, route or goal of your blend; no proven amplification is inferred from this row.
in vitro mechanistic · antioxidant
No source citation attached.
Read gamma-Terpinene report →beta-SesquiphellandreneAmplification candidate
Candidate in the research matrix. A coefficient alone does not establish amplification at the dose, route or goal of your blend; no proven amplification is inferred from this row.
occurrence study · whole_oil
No source citation attached.
Read beta-Sesquiphellandrene report →How the effects were investigated
sesquiterpene_synthase_product_from_farnesyl_diphosphate
A ginger terpene-synthase paper reported that ZoTps1 converts farnesyl diphosphate through a nerolidyl diphosphate intermediate to stereospecific (S)-beta-bisabolene.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
apoptosis_associated_cytotoxicity_in_breast_cancer_models
The opoponax paper linked beta-bisabolene-associated loss of viability to annexin V and caspase-3/7 apoptosis signals in breast cancer cell lines.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
ampicillin_restoration_against_resistant_s_aureus
A time-kill assay paper reported synergistic bactericidal interaction between beta-bisabolene and ampicillin against Staphylococcus aureus.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
What this report cannot establish
- A reported constituent percentage does not establish an effective human therapeutic dose or the amount absorbed into the body.
- The presence of a constituent does not guarantee a clinical benefit, rash treatment or sleep improvement from a custom blend.
- An unflagged concern or missing use limit does not establish safety for ingestion, inhalation, skin exposure or a particular person.
- A candidate constituent interaction does not establish that two oils amplify one another at the selected proportions.
- Constituent descriptors alone do not establish a precise top, heart or base lifetime in a finished blend.
Known data gaps (7)
- This pass did not verify a dedicated human clinical study on isolated beta-bisabolene.
- No IFRA Standard restriction (category leave-on % limit) specific to bisabolene (CAS 495-62-5 group, including l-beta-bisabolene CAS 495-61-4) was located; RIFM's 2022 group safety assessment concludes the material is 'safe as described' with a NESIL of 3700 ug/cm2 but does not publish a category dermal-limit percentage, so dermal_limit_pct is left unverified rather than guessed.
- Penetration-enhancer status for isolated beta-bisabolene was not addressed in the RIFM assessment or other reviewed sources and remains unverified.
- Several broader essential-oil papers mention beta-bisabolene inside mixture activity, but they do not isolate the constituent cleanly enough to support stronger standalone claims.
- No constituent-specific numeric dermal reference is available here.
- Some findings do not record an explicit exposure route; consult the linked study before applying them to a use.
- Interaction candidates lack an attached source citation and remain unqualified.