Curlone is a turmeric-associated sesquiterpene ketone usually treated as the same constituent as beta-turmerone in public chemistry databases. Live source checks support its identity and repeated occurrence as a major volatile in Curcuma longa oils, while the direct evidence base is still mostly preclinical: turmeric-oil studies repeatedly quantify curlone, and one in-vitro trypanosome screen identified isolated curlone as a comparatively active constituent. That makes curlone useful for chemistry, aroma, and early-stage bioactivity context, but not for medical claims.
Chemical identity and composition
PubChem currently maps the name Curlone onto the beta-turmerone record, returning CID 196216 with formula C15H22O and the synonym cluster including both 'Curlone' and 'beta-Turmerone'. Public CAS coverage is inconsistent across current sources: PubChem and Good Scents beta-turmerone pages point to 82508-14-3, while NIST and other trade records also expose 87440-60-6 for curlone-related naming. Because the public record mixes generic, stereochemical, and synonym-level registrations, this archive record leaves the CAS field null instead of choosing one unresolved registry number.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded warm, spicy, woody, turmeric-like 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.
turmeric marker constituent
A PubMed abstract on turmeric oil reported ar-turmerone at 61.79%, curlone at 12.48%, and ar-curcumene at 6.11%, then described significant in-vitro antioxidant and mouse anti-inflammatory or antinociceptive activity for the whole oil.
Measured: major-component identification and mixture-level antioxidant or antinociceptive outcomes
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
anti trypanosomal screening
A PubMed abstract reported that among five major Curcuma longa essential-oil components, curlone was the most promising anti-trypanosomal candidate with IC50 1.38 +/- 0.45 microg/mL and selectivity indices of 31.7 and 18.2 versus the two mammalian cell lines used.
Measured: IC50 and selectivity index
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
mixture level antioxidant and inflammation models
A PubMed abstract on Curcuma longa essential oil reported inhibition of S. mutans growth, acid production, adherence, and biofilm formation at tested concentrations, with curlone quantified at 5.45% of that active oil.
Measured: biofilm formation and adherence inhibition by turmeric oil
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.
No numeric constituent-specific use limit is available here. Missing is not an unrestricted-use clearance.
No authoritative constituent-specific IFRA dermal ceiling or human safety trial for isolated curlone was verified in this research pass.
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 public identity record around curlone and beta-turmerone is chemically close but registry-level inconsistent, so future safety work should reconcile the exact stereochemical target before adding stronger toxicology claims.
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 accessible bioactivity literature located here uses turmeric oil mixtures where curlone is present, so those results should not be treated as isolated-compound safety proof.
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
anti trypanosomal activity in vitro
An in-vitro Trypanosoma brucei brucei study identified curlone as the most promising tested Curcuma longa constituent by IC50 and selectivity index, supporting a direct parasite-screening signal rather than a validated therapeutic mechanism.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
mixture level free radical and inflammation modulation
Turmeric essential oil containing curlone showed radical-scavenging and mouse inflammation-model effects, but the source did not isolate curlone as the sole active mechanism driver.
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)
- Public CAS coverage for curlone versus beta-turmerone remains inconsistent across current databases and trade references, so the CAS field is intentionally left null.
- No human clinical studies specific to isolated curlone were verified in the reviewed sources.
- Most direct efficacy signals remain preclinical or mixture-level rather than constituent-specific.
- Follow-up web search (2026-07-11) found that ar-turmerone (a related but distinct Curcuma longa sesquiterpene, not curlone/beta-turmerone itself) carries a GHS H319/sensitization hazard classification on some SDS sources; this was not applied to curlone directly since it is a different constituent. No curlone/beta-turmerone-specific RIFM assessment or IFRA Standard was found. dermal_limit_pct (2) and dermal_limit_verified (false) are left unchanged as an unverified placeholder.
- Re-check web search (2026-07-13) for beta-turmerone/curlone dermal limit and sensitization data again returned only generic RIFM/IFRA framework pages (rifm.org, ifrafragrance.org standards compendium) with no curlone/beta-turmerone-specific entry. The prior placeholder dermal_limit_pct (2%) had no locatable citation and was corrected to null rather than left as an unsupported number. sensitizing remains null (no data either way, not guessed).
- 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.