Mustakone is a sesquiterpene ketone associated most strongly with cypriol or nagarmotha-type rhizome oils, especially Cyperus scariosus and related Cyperus articulatus materials. The live evidence base is strongest for identity and occurrence, with a smaller preclinical literature touching antiparasitic and mixed-oil cytotoxicity findings. For AromaForge, mustakone is best framed as a cypriol chemistry marker with limited early-stage bioactivity evidence and substantial standalone safety gaps.
Chemical identity and composition
PubChem identifies Mustakone as CID 12313013 with molecular formula C15H22O and the tricyclic ketone name 1,5-dimethyl-8-propan-2-yltricyclo[4.4.0.0(2,7)]dec-4-en-3-one. PubChem synonym data supports CAS 1209-91-2 and the alternate name muskatone. In the AromaForge archive, mustakone is already part of nagarmotha or cypriol records, where recent archive citations place it in a broad but recurring range around 0.2-13.3% across Indian rhizome-oil samples.
Aroma and practical use
- Use the recorded woody, ambery, earthy, cypriol-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 2008 antiplasmodial paper reported that isolated mustakone from Cyperus articulatus was approximately ten times more active than corymbolone against the sensitive Plasmodium falciparum strains used in that study.
A 2008 antiplasmodial paper reported that isolated mustakone from Cyperus articulatus was approximately ten times more active than corymbolone against the sensitive Plasmodium falciparum strains used in that study.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2014 anti-onchocerca study found that AMJ1, described as containing mustakone as the major component, killed microfilariae and adult Onchocerca ochengi worms in a dose-dependent manner, but the test article was not purified mustakone alone.
A 2014 anti-onchocerca study found that AMJ1, described as containing mustakone as the major component, killed microfilariae and adult Onchocerca ochengi worms in a dose-dependent manner, but the test article was not purified mustakone alone.
This experimental finding does not establish benefit, dose or safety in people using this blend.
A 2020 Cyperus articulatus rhizome-oil study identified muskatone at 11.6% in the tested oil and reported G2/M arrest, apoptotic cell-death features, and xenograft tumor-growth inhibition for the whole essential oil rather than for isolated mustakone.
A 2020 Cyperus articulatus rhizome-oil study identified muskatone at 11.6% in the tested oil and reported G2/M arrest, apoptotic cell-death features, and xenograft tumor-growth inhibition for the whole essential oil rather than for isolated mustakone.
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.
No constituent-specific human safety trial, dermal-limit source, or fragrance-safety monograph was verified for isolated mustakone 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.
The accessible bioactivity literature is dominated by in vitro or mixed-material work, so consumer-facing copy should avoid implying validated standalone therapeutic action.
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 Good Scents entry surfaced in live search shows no determined oral, dermal, or inhalation toxicity values for mustakone, which reinforces the need for conservative safety framing.
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.
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 literature specific to isolated mustakone was located in the reviewed public sources.
- No constituent-specific dermal sensitization, inhalation tolerance, reproductive toxicity, or chronic toxicology data were verified in this pass.
- Most available activity evidence is either mixed-material, mustakone-rich fraction, or whole-oil evidence rather than purified dose-response work.
- A dermal-limit safety pass (2026-07-13) searched IFRA/RIFM/Tisserand sources for a mustakone-specific dermal limit and found none; the prior placeholder dermal_limit_pct of 2 had no citation and was cleared to null.
- 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.