alpha-Turmerone is an oxygenated sesquiterpene concentrated in turmeric rhizome oil and related Curcuma materials. The strongest public evidence supports its chemical identity, repeated occurrence in turmeric volatile profiles, and a small set of preclinical studies describing cell-level antiproliferative effects, intestinal transporter interactions, and mixture-linked antimicrobial or antioxidant activity. Human clinical evidence and constituent-specific safety review remain limited, so AromaForge entries should describe alpha-turmerone as a well-defined turmeric marker with promising but still preclinical bioactivity signals.
Chemical identity and composition
Live identity sources consistently map alpha-turmerone to CAS 82508-15-4 and PubChem CID 160512. The archive's turmeric oil file currently carries CAS 546-58-9 on the embedded constituent row, but current external identity registries and supplier-standard references for alpha-turmerone point instead to 82508-15-4; that discrepancy is noted here without editing the oil file.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded warm, turmeric-like, spicy, woody descriptors to explore a blend's scent character; perceived strength also depends on the other ingredients.
- 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.
cell level antiproliferative research
A PubMed abstract reported that alpha-turmerone significantly inhibited cancer-cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells, and was linked to procaspase-3, -8, and -9 decreases.
Measured: cell proliferation and apoptosis markers
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
intestinal transport modulation
A PubMed snippet reports that alpha-turmerone significantly increased curcumin transport into Caco-2 cells and inhibited rhodamine-123 and digoxin efflux, supporting a transporter-modulation hypothesis.
Measured: curcumin transport and P-glycoprotein-associated efflux
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
mixture linked antimicrobial research
A PubMed-indexed turmeric oil study identified alpha-turmerone among the active principles and reported an IC50 of 39 uM for inhibition of S. mutans biofilm formation, although the paper evaluated both whole oil and several components.
Measured: biofilm formation inhibition
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
Use concerns and concentration limits
Sensitization concernNot flagged
Not flagged in the current model. This is not proof of absence or unrestricted safety.
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.
A recorded constituent reference, not a recommended oil dilution. Product category, source applicability and all contributing oils must be checked before use.
unverified reference · No source provenance attachedThe Good Scents Company page reviewed for alpha-turmerone lists no determined oral, dermal, or inhalation toxicity values and no explicit GHS classification on the page, which is a data-gap signal rather than proof of safety.
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.
The same industry listing categorizes alpha-turmerone under natural substances and extractives and marks it as not for fragrance use and not for flavor use in that database context.
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.
No human clinical safety trials, dermal limit monograph, or constituent-specific phototoxicity review for isolated alpha-turmerone were located in the sources reviewed for this update.
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
No constituent-pair interaction is recorded for this identity. The report does not assume either amplification or incompatibility.
How the effects were investigated
caspase linked apoptosis in breast cancer cells
A Curcuma longa isolate study reported that alpha-turmerone induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells with decreases in procaspases-3, -8, and -9 and mitochondrial transmembrane depolarization.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
p gp efflux inhibition in caco 2 cells
A transport study reported that alpha-turmerone increased intracellular curcumin and inhibited rhodamine-123 and digoxin efflux, consistent with P-glycoprotein modulation in the Caco-2 model.
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 (6)
- No human clinical studies specific to isolated alpha-turmerone were located in the reviewed public sources.
- Several biological papers on turmeric volatiles focus more heavily on ar-turmerone than alpha-turmerone, so isomer-specific claims need careful separation.
- A live identity discrepancy remains between current external CAS mappings for alpha-turmerone and the CAS value embedded in the archive's turmeric oil record.
- 2026-07-13 re-verification (worker c3): a targeted search for IFRA/dermal-limit and sensitization/phototoxicity data for alpha-turmerone (CAS 82508-15-4) found no constituent-specific numeric limit in IFRA documentation or supplier pages; dermal_limit_verified remains false.
- The numeric dermal reference lacks source provenance; a verified flag alone is insufficient.
- Some findings do not record an explicit exposure route; consult the linked study before applying them to a use.