beta-Elemene is a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon found in several aromatic materials, including cubeb, myrrh, and turmeric-related oils already represented in the AromaForge archive. Unlike many minor sesquiterpenes, beta-elemene has a large pharmacology literature, but that literature is heavily weighted toward oncology research rather than aroma-use evidence. The strongest source-grounded takeaways are that beta-elemene is a real recurring oil constituent, that extensive preclinical work discusses apoptosis, autophagy, chemosensitization, and signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and that some clinical adjunct-treatment literature exists outside the fragrance context. For AromaForge, it should be described carefully as a well-studied research constituent with mostly cancer-focused evidence and clear limits on consumer-wellness interpretation.
Chemical identity and composition
PubChem lists beta-elemene as C15H24 with CAS 515-13-9 and a cyclohexane-based sesquiterpene hydrocarbon structure. In the AromaForge archive it is already present in myrrh essential oil at 3.69% and cubeb essential oil at 9.4%, supporting its role as a recurrent compositional marker in spice- and resin-linked profiles rather than an isolated pharmaceutical abstraction.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded woody, herbal, sesquiterpenic, warm, herbaceous 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.
A 2012 Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology study reported that beta-elemene induced apoptosis and also protective autophagy in human non-small-cell lung cancer A549 cells, with inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K1 signaling discussed as part of the response.
A 2012 Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology study reported that beta-elemene induced apoptosis and also protective autophagy in human non-small-cell lung cancer A549 cells, with inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K1 signaling discussed as part of the response.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2019 review summarized beta-elemene molecular targets across kinase, transcription-factor, and growth-factor pathways and emphasized apoptosis, autophagy, anti-metastatic signaling, and chemosensitization themes in tumor models.
A 2019 review summarized beta-elemene molecular targets across kinase, transcription-factor, and growth-factor pathways and emphasized apoptosis, autophagy, anti-metastatic signaling, and chemosensitization themes in tumor models.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2019 meta-analysis reported that elemene injection as adjunctive treatment to platinum-based chemotherapy in stage III/IV non-small cell lung cancer showed favorable pooled outcomes, but the evidence belongs to a specialized oncology setting rather than essential-oil use.
A 2019 meta-analysis reported that elemene injection as adjunctive treatment to platinum-based chemotherapy in stage III/IV non-small cell lung cancer showed favorable pooled outcomes, but the evidence belongs to a specialized oncology setting rather than essential-oil use.
Apply this finding only to the studied preparation, participants, route and outcome. It does not establish the same result for a custom oil 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.
No numeric constituent-specific use limit is available here. Missing is not an unrestricted-use clearance.
Recent reviews describe beta-elemene as having comparatively low toxicity in the drug-development literature, but those conclusions come from oncology and formulation contexts rather than fragrance-use safety assessment.
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 constituent has a much larger biomedical literature than most archive sesquiterpenes, but that is not the same as validated topical or inhalational essential-oil safety guidance.
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.
ChamazuleneAmplification 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 · antioxidant
No source citation attached.
Read Chamazulene report →How the effects were investigated
pi3k akt mtor pathway modulation
Multiple beta-elemene papers and reviews discuss regulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling as part of its apoptosis, autophagy, or chemosensitization profile in tumor models.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
apoptosis and protective autophagy balance
A549 cell work reported that beta-elemene induced apoptosis while also triggering protective autophagy, showing that its cellular effects can be mixed rather than uniformly cytotoxic.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this 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 (7)
- Most beta-elemene literature is cancer-focused and not directly relevant to ordinary aromatherapy-style consumer use.
- Clinical evidence located here concerns specialized adjunctive oncology settings rather than essential-oil exposure routes.
- A fragrance-style constituent-specific safety review or dermal-limit summary was not verified in this pass.
- 2026-07-13 verification pass: confirmed no individual IFRA Standard exists for beta-elemene (full-text search of IFRA 51st Amendment) and no Tisserand & Young Essential Oil Safety monograph or EU Cosmetics Regulation Annex III listing was located. The prior dermal_limit_pct (25%) and sensitizing (true) values had no supporting citation and are corrected to null/unknown rather than presented as sourced facts.
- 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.