Dill apiole, more commonly indexed in chemical databases as dillapiol or dillapiole, is a phenylpropanoid associated strongly with dill seed and certain other Apiaceae or Piper oils. The current evidence base is materially stronger than a simple identity-only record: public sources support its occurrence in dill, multiple preclinical antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory studies, and a clear reproductive-toxicity caution from mouse embryo work. That combination makes dill apiole a constituent to describe carefully as a chemistry and early-stage bioactivity marker, while avoiding medical claims and keeping pregnancy-risk language explicit.
Chemical identity and composition
PubChem search results identify Dillapiol / Dillapiole as CID 10231 with formula C12H14O4. The Good Scents and ChemSpider records align dill apiole with CAS 484-31-1 and multiple synonymous spellings. In the local dill-seed oil record, dill apiole is treated as a major marker ranging roughly 20.7-52.5% depending on source and origin.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded spicy, warm, herbaceous, slightly woody, dill-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 2011 rat paw edema study reported that dillapiole and dihydrodillapiole significantly inhibited carrageenan-induced edema, with the authors describing moderate anti-inflammatory activity relative to indomethacin.
A 2011 rat paw edema study reported that dillapiole and dihydrodillapiole significantly inhibited carrageenan-induced edema, with the authors describing moderate anti-inflammatory activity relative to indomethacin.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2014 full-text mouse embryo study found that 2.5-10 microM dillapiole increased blastocyst apoptosis, reduced total cell number, lowered implantation success, increased embryo resorption, and reduced fetal weight.
A 2014 full-text mouse embryo study found that 2.5-10 microM dillapiole increased blastocyst apoptosis, reduced total cell number, lowered implantation success, increased embryo resorption, and reduced fetal weight.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2025 PubMed record reported that dillapiole dampened the expression of major virulence genes of Francisella tularensis, supporting a focused antimicrobial mechanism study rather than a consumer-use claim.
A 2025 PubMed record reported that dillapiole dampened the expression of major virulence genes of Francisella tularensis, supporting a focused antimicrobial mechanism study rather than a consumer-use claim.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2015 dill aerial-parts study reported that stem oil had dill apiole at 50.07%, illustrating that dill apiole can become the dominant volatile in specific plant parts rather than only a minor supporting constituent.
A 2015 dill aerial-parts study reported that stem oil had dill apiole at 50.07%, illustrating that dill apiole can become the dominant volatile in specific plant parts rather than only a minor supporting constituent.
This reference does not establish a therapeutic result or a safe use level 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.
The strongest safety signal in this pass is reproductive and embryotoxic concern from mouse blastocyst work, which supports conservative pregnancy avoidance language.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
The local dill-seed oil record already treats dill apiole content as a reason for a conservative dermal limit and pregnancy warning at the oil level.
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 trials of isolated dill apiole were 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
reduced paw edema in rat model
A rat carrageenan edema study reported moderate anti-inflammatory activity for dillapiole and dihydrodillapiole, indicating a preclinical inflammation-modulating signal.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
virulence gene suppression in f tularensis
A 2025 study reported that dillapiole dampened expression of major virulence genes in Francisella tularensis, suggesting a gene-regulatory antimicrobial mechanism in a pathogen model.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
No direct public citation is attached to this entry.
blastocyst apoptosis and implantation impairment
Mouse embryo work linked dillapiole exposure to increased apoptosis in blastocysts, lower implantation success, and reduced fetal weight, supporting a reproductive-toxicity caution rather than a wellness claim.
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 (6)
- No human clinical efficacy or safety studies of isolated dill apiole were located.
- The preclinical bioactivity literature spans several source plants, so constituent-level conclusions should stay narrower than whole-oil claims.
- A constituent-specific modern dermal safety monograph for isolated dill apiole was not verified in this pass.
- dermal_limit_pct corrected from an unsourced 0.7 to null (2026-07-13): no IFRA Standard, RIFM assessment, or EU Annex III entry for dillapiole/dill apiole (CAS 484-31-1) was located in two search passes; dermal_limit_source and dermal_limit_verified remain null/false pending a real citation.
- 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.