Costunolide is a sesquiterpene lactone best known in the AromaForge archive as a characteristic constituent of costus root oil. The strongest evidence is split between high-confidence identity and occurrence data, a broad preclinical literature on apoptosis and inflammatory signaling, and a separate safety context tied to sesquiterpene-lactone sensitization rather than consumer wellness use. For archive purposes, it is best described as a research-active costus marker with mainly cell and animal evidence, not as a validated human-use outcome ingredient.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded woody, rooty, bitter, costus-like 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 PubMed-indexed cell study reported that costunolide induced apoptosis in U937 leukemia cells after rapid depletion of intracellular glutathione and protein thiols, while reduced derivatives lacked the same apoptotic activity.
A PubMed-indexed cell study reported that costunolide induced apoptosis in U937 leukemia cells after rapid depletion of intracellular glutathione and protein thiols, while reduced derivatives lacked the same apoptotic activity.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A mouse DSS-colitis paper found that costunolide reduced body-weight loss, colon damage, MPO and nitric oxide levels, and several inflammatory cytokines, with pathway analysis centered on NF-kappaB, STAT1/3, and Akt.
A mouse DSS-colitis paper found that costunolide reduced body-weight loss, colon damage, MPO and nitric oxide levels, and several inflammatory cytokines, with pathway analysis centered on NF-kappaB, STAT1/3, and Akt.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
An earlier PubMed-listed study reported antiangiogenic activity for costunolide isolated from Saussurea lappa, adding to the compound's preclinical pharmacology profile.
An earlier PubMed-listed study reported antiangiogenic activity for costunolide isolated from Saussurea lappa, adding to the compound's preclinical pharmacology profile.
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.
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 attachedCostus oil has a long contact-allergy history in fragrance literature, and costunolide is one of the sesquiterpene lactones repeatedly implicated in costus/Compositae sensitization screening.
The source assessment applies to its specified exposure and preparation; this entry is not an unrestricted-use clearance.
The broad sesquiterpene-lactone literature supports treating isolated costunolide as a sensitization-relevant constituent class member rather than assuming benign topical use.
The source assessment applies to its specified exposure and preparation; this entry is not an unrestricted-use clearance.
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.
Dehydrocostus lactoneAmplification 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 · effect
No source citation attached.
Read Dehydrocostus lactone report →How the effects were investigated
intracellular thiol depletion
A leukemia-cell paper reported that costunolide rapidly depleted glutathione and protein thiols before apoptosis, and sulfhydryl donors largely blocked the effect.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
nf kappab stat akt pathway suppression
A murine colitis study interpreted costunolide's anti-inflammatory signal through reduced NF-kappaB, STAT1/3, and Akt pathway activation alongside lower cytokine expression.
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 efficacy evidence relevant to aroma or topical consumer use was verified in this pass.
- The strongest public literature is disease-model pharmacology, which should not be translated into consumer medical claims.
- A constituent-specific dermal maximum for isolated costunolide was not verified from a directly readable primary standard in this pass.
- 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.
- Interaction candidates lack an attached source citation and remain unqualified.