α-Humulene
Identity
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Preferred name | α-Humulene (α-Caryophyllene) |
| IUPAC name | (1E,4E,8E)-2,6,6,9-tetramethylcycloundeca-1,4,8-triene |
| CAS number | 6753-98-6 |
| PubChem CID | 5281520 [^3] |
| Chemical family | Monocyclic Sesquiterpene |
| Molecular formula | C15H24 |
| Molecular mass | 204.35 g/mol |
| Stereochemistry | No chiral centers; the (1E,4E,8E) double-bond geometry is fixed in the name. Constitutional isomer of β-caryophyllene (same formula, different skeleton), never collapsed with it |
Aroma and sensory character
Earthy, woody, herbal, hoppy aroma profile.
Occurrence outside cannabis
- Hops (Humulus lupulus)
- Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
- Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Physical properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Standard boiling point | 264 °C (atmospheric; unconfirmed by NIST) [^1] |
| Reference pressure | 101.325 kPa |
| Data source | Secondary literature; NIST WebBook lists only a reduced-pressure value (≈123 °C at 0.013 bar) |
Thermal-extraction context
Reported biological activity
Human evidence
Clinical evidence for isolated human oral or vaporized humulene administration is minimal.
Animal or laboratory evidence
In a murine model of allergic airway inflammation, α-humulene administered orally or by aerosol reduced eosinophil infiltration and markers such as IL-5 and LTB4 1.
Traditional or anecdotal claims
Associated with traditional hoppy medicinal infusions.
Cannabis laboratory results
Reported at roughly 0.1–2 mg/g dry weight in dried flower across cultivars (GC-MS of hydrodistilled essential oil and chemotype surveys) 2. Values are batch- and method-dependent. Refer to Lab Results for batch data.
Sources
Related pages
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Rogerio AP, Andrade EL, Leite DF, Figueiredo CP, Calixto JB. Preventive and therapeutic anti-inflammatory properties of the sesquiterpene α-humulene in experimental airways allergic inflammation. Br J Pharmacol. 2009;158(4):1074–1087. doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00177.x. PMID 19438512. ↩
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Joy N, et al. A Validated GC-MS Method for Major Terpenes Quantification in Cannabis sativa L. Essential Oil. 2025. PMC12670203; PMID 40042239; Booth JK, et al. Terpene synthases and terpene variation in Cannabis sativa. Plant Physiol. 2020;184(1):130–147. doi:10.1104/pp.20.00593. PMID 32591428. ↩
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