Cymene

Many biological activities take place with this terpene called cymene. It has anti-microbial and anti-bacterial effects. We can have cymene in hundreds of plants like cannabis, anise, oregano, eucalyptus, cilantro and mace.

What is it?

Generally, A number of herbal essential oils have this so aromatic terpene in them. Also, Cumin and thyme are such essential oils. Cymene demonstrated antimicrobial properties being part of thyme oil. However, It also demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties when tested on animals.

Cymene in everyday life:

With this purpose in mind, a number of essential oils which has this type of terpene in them are for aromatic therapy. Eucalyptus oil is specifically for massages and facial scrubs. You must have encountered cymene because cymene can be in a number of plants. Thyme oil is to infuse the meat with a fresh, tangy flavour, while coriander oil gives a nutty palate to dipping sauces and salad dressings. Also, Anise oil is in baking and contributes to the potency of the taste of licorice. These oils must dilute in a base oil, such as coconut, to safely consume.

Therapeutic properties of cymene:

Firstly, this type of terpene can help to fight against tumours and inflammation apart from being in aromatic therapy. Although, these medical properties of cymene have testing only on animals yet studies need to be conducted on human beings as well.

Antibacterial and antimicrobial:

Secondly, the ability of cymene fighting against microbes. Generally, We commonly use thyme oil in our household as an antibacterial agent, and science has proved its effectiveness. Unfortunately, this type of terpene has a strong odour which forces us to limit it to sprays only.

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic:

With this purpose in mind a study wrote in the journal Inflammation back in 2013, which explains that cymene, through a number of human body’s messaging pathways, behaves like an anti-inflammatory agent. A German study also proved the anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties of cymene when tested on mice.

Antioxidant and neuroprotectant:

The human body has diseases when an imbalance of free radicals in the body occur. Brazilian scientists back in 2015 proved that cymene has antioxidant properties. A study was published in the journal Fitoterapia back in 2019 confirmed that this terpene can behave like a neuroprotectant because it has antioxidant properties.

Antitumor:

There are a number of scientific pieces of evidence available to prove that cymene has the ability to fight against cancer. Fortunately, this search was conducted on human cells. The findings of the study were that this type of terpene inhibits tumours in connective tissue, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, and others.

Role of cymene in cannabis:

Some researchers declared that cymene has an orange or carrot flavour, while some characterized it as a combination of wood and lemon. The varieties of cannabis with low concentrations of this type of terpene emit such aroma. More research is needed to conduct to understand the possible effects of low concentrations of cymene.

Conclusion:

A common constituent of herbal essential oils, this type of terpene stands out for its potential to treat inflammation and combat tumours.

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