Dihydrotagetone is a monoterpene ketone associated most strongly with Tagetes minuta and related tagetes oils, where it can range from a minor constituent to a major chemotype marker. The best public evidence currently available is for identity, repeated occurrence in tagetes oils, and preclinical activity in whole-oil or isolated-pest assays, including nematicidal and broader antimicrobial or antioxidant studies centered on Tagetes minuta essential oil. That makes dihydrotagetone useful for compositional and early-stage bioactivity context, but the evidence does not support medical claims or a well-developed isolated-human safety profile.
Chemical identity and composition
The Good Scents lists dihydrotagetone as CAS 1879-00-1 with the IUPAC-style name 2,6-dimethyloct-7-en-4-one and maps it to PubChem CID 102706. In local archive oil records it appears in tagetes flower oil around 13.7%, while published Tagetes minuta studies report materially higher levels in some samples, including about 33.9% and 54.1% in separate reports.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded green, fruity, herbaceous, ketonic, tagetes-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.
A 2007 Australasian Plant Disease Notes study reported that isolated dihydrotagetone from Tagetes minuta oil showed strong nematicidal activity against Meloidogyne incognita eggs and juveniles, exceeding the activity of z-beta-ocimene in the same assay.
A 2007 Australasian Plant Disease Notes study reported that isolated dihydrotagetone from Tagetes minuta oil showed strong nematicidal activity against Meloidogyne incognita eggs and juveniles, exceeding the activity of z-beta-ocimene in the same assay.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2014 study on Tagetes minuta and Ocimum basilicum essential oils reported Tagetes minuta oil containing about 33.9% dihydrotagetone and described antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic screening activity for the whole oil.
A 2014 study on Tagetes minuta and Ocimum basilicum essential oils reported Tagetes minuta oil containing about 33.9% dihydrotagetone and described antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic screening activity for the whole oil.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2014 anti-inflammatory study reported Tagetes minuta essential oil with about 33.86% dihydrotagetone showing radical-scavenging and anti-inflammatory effects in activated macrophages, again at the oil level rather than as isolated dihydrotagetone.
A 2014 anti-inflammatory study reported Tagetes minuta essential oil with about 33.86% dihydrotagetone showing radical-scavenging and anti-inflammatory effects in activated macrophages, again at the oil level rather than as isolated dihydrotagetone.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2013 cattle-pen trial paper described Tagetes minuta oil containing about 54.10% dihydrotagetone and reported activity against cattle tick infestation, supporting practical pest-control interest in dihydrotagetone-rich tagetes oil.
A 2013 cattle-pen trial paper described Tagetes minuta oil containing about 54.10% dihydrotagetone and reported activity against cattle tick infestation, supporting practical pest-control interest in dihydrotagetone-rich tagetes 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.
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 record reports a fragrance-concentrate recommendation of up to 1.0% and states 'not for flavor use', but the page does not expose a detailed toxicological rationale or a direct isolated dermal monograph.
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.
No human clinical safety literature for isolated dihydrotagetone was verified in this 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.
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
nematicidal activity against root knot nematodes
The strongest isolated-compound mechanism-style signal found here is direct toxicity to eggs and juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita in vitro, suggesting pesticidal rather than therapeutic relevance.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
oil level redox and inflammatory mediator modulation
A Tagetes minuta oil rich in dihydrotagetone showed radical-scavenging activity and reduced inflammatory mediator output in activated macrophages, but the tested material was the whole essential oil rather than purified dihydrotagetone.
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 (5)
- Most accessible bioactivity evidence involves whole Tagetes minuta oil rather than isolated dihydrotagetone.
- No modern public isolated-constituent clinical literature was located.
- No constituent-specific dermal limit grounded in a primary safety monograph was verified beyond the secondary fragrance-use reference.
- 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.