CONSTITUENT REPORT
Caryophyllene oxide
Caryophyllene oxide is the oxidized epoxide form of caryophyllene and a recurring sesquiterpene marker across clove leaf, melissa, nagarmotha, leleshwa, and other archive oils. Public evidence is solid for identity and flavoring use status, and stronger than average for preclinical anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antimicrobial discussion. The evidence still leans heavily on cell and animal work rather than human trials, and mechanistic papers note an important distinction from beta-caryophyllene itself: caryophyllene oxide does not appear to share the parent compound's CB2 receptor binding profile.
Chemical identity and composition
PubChem resolves caryophyllene oxide to CID 1742210 with formula C15H24O, while PubChem's ChEBI-linked description identifies it as an epoxide metabolite. JECFA lists beta-caryophyllene oxide as a full flavouring specification with CAS 1139-30-6 and a sweet fruity odor. In the local archive it appears as a secondary but recurrent oxygenated sesquiterpene across several herbaceous, woody, and spice-adjacent oils rather than as a dominant chemotype driver in most records.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded woody, spicy, dry, sweet, fruity 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 2010 isolated-constituent study reported significant central and peripheral analgesic activity, along with anti-inflammatory activity, for caryophyllene oxide at 12.5 and 25 mg/kg in experimental models.
A 2010 isolated-constituent study reported significant central and peripheral analgesic activity, along with anti-inflammatory activity, for caryophyllene oxide at 12.5 and 25 mg/kg in experimental models.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2014 cell study reported that beta-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide fractions from Aegle marmelos induced apoptosis in Jurkat and IMR-32 cells and were discussed as anti-inflammatory 15-lipoxygenase modulators.
A 2014 cell study reported that beta-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide fractions from Aegle marmelos induced apoptosis in Jurkat and IMR-32 cells and were discussed as anti-inflammatory 15-lipoxygenase modulators.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2017 microsomal study found that beta-caryophyllene oxide significantly inhibited CYP3A activity in both rat and human liver microsomes and was the strongest inhibitor among the three tested sesquiterpenes.
A 2017 microsomal study found that beta-caryophyllene oxide significantly inhibited CYP3A activity in both rat and human liver microsomes and was the strongest inhibitor among the three tested sesquiterpenes.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2024 mouse study reported a synergistic antinociceptive effect when beta-caryophyllene oxide was combined with paracetamol, along with gastroprotective activity in an ethanol-induced gastric-lesion model.
A 2024 mouse study reported a synergistic antinociceptive effect when beta-caryophyllene oxide was combined with paracetamol, along with gastroprotective activity in an ethanol-induced gastric-lesion model.
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.
JECFA lists beta-caryophyllene oxide as a flavouring with full specification status as of Session 89.
The source assessment applies to its specified exposure and preparation; this entry is not an unrestricted-use clearance.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
Because caryophyllene oxide inhibited CYP3A in rat and human liver microsomes, concentrated supplemental or experimental exposure could plausibly matter more for drug-interaction review than ordinary trace fragrance exposure.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
Most benefit-facing evidence remains preclinical, so consumer-facing copy should avoid implying human anti-inflammatory, analgesic, or anticancer efficacy.
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.
beta-GurjuneneAmplification 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 vivo nonhuman · whole_oil
No source citation attached.
Read beta-Gurjunene report →How the effects were investigated
15_lipoxygenase_modulation_in_cell_models
A 2014 study on lymphoma and neuroblastoma cells reported that caryophyllene oxide fractions modulated 15-lipoxygenase alongside pro- and anti-apoptotic gene expression changes.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
CYP3A_inhibition_in_hepatic_microsomes
Rat and human liver microsome experiments found non-competitive CYP3A inhibition by caryophyllene oxide, stronger than the inhibition seen for beta-caryophyllene or alpha-humulene in that study.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
not_a_CB2_binding_analog_of_beta_caryophyllene
A 2016 review states that beta-caryophyllene oxide does not show CB1 or CB2 binding, so it should not be treated mechanistically as interchangeable with beta-caryophyllene.
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.
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 (6)
- No constituent-specific human clinical efficacy study for isolated caryophyllene oxide was verified in this pass.
- Mechanistic papers do not support treating caryophyllene oxide as pharmacologically interchangeable with beta-caryophyllene.
- The RIFM 2020 assessment confirms sensitizer status (DST-based, no concern at current use) and no phototoxicity, but there is no IFRA standard and no single finished-product dermal-limit percentage (only category-specific DST-based maximum acceptable concentrations from 0.0015% to 0.19%), so dermal_limit_pct was corrected from an unsourced 20% placeholder to null.
- 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.