β-Myrcene
Identity
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Preferred name | β-Myrcene |
| IUPAC name | 7-methyl-3-methylideneocta-1,6-diene |
| CAS number | 123-35-3 |
| PubChem CID | 31253 [^4] |
| Chemical family | Acyclic Monoterpene |
| Molecular formula | C10H16 |
| Molecular mass | 136.23 g/mol |
| Stereochemistry | No chiral centers |
Aroma and sensory character
Earthy, herbal, woody, resinous, and hop-like descriptors commonly associated with β-myrcene.
Occurrence outside cannabis
- Hops (Humulus lupulus)
- Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus)
- Bay leaf (Laurus nobilis)
- Mango (Mangifera indica)
Physical properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Standard boiling point | 167 °C |
| Reference pressure | 101.325 kPa |
| Data source | NIST Chemistry WebBook (SRD 69): 440.2 K (≈167 °C) [^1] |
Thermal-extraction context
Standard boiling point values represent pure compound phase-change behavior under laboratory atmosphere. In plant matrices, vaporization is governed by partial vapor pressure, moisture content, airflow dynamics, and thermal conductance.
Reported biological activity
Human evidence
Observational studies suggest sensory involvement in consumer preference; robust clinical proof of isolated therapeutic efficacy in humans remains limited [^2].
Animal or laboratory evidence
Preclinical rodent models report analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity 12. Sedative effects are frequently described in secondary sources but lack a strong controlled human confirmation.
Traditional or anecdotal claims
Widely cited in folk practices (e.g., lemongrass tea) for relaxing qualities.
Cannabis laboratory results
Frequently the dominant monoterpene in cannabis flower: measured at 5.85–8.62 mg/g dry weight in two US hemp cultivars by validated GC-MS of hydrodistilled oil, and among the dominant terpenes across chemotypes 3. Refer to batch-specific COA records under Lab Results where β-myrcene quantitations are recorded.
Sources
Related pages
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Rao VSN, Menezes AMS, Viana GSB. Effect of myrcene on nociception in mice. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1990;42(12):877–878. doi:10.1111/j.2042-7158.1990.tb07046.x. PMID 1983154. ↩
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McDougall JJ, McKenna M. Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Properties of the Cannabis Terpene Myrcene in Rat Adjuvant Monoarthritis. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(14):7891. doi:10.3390/ijms23147891. ↩
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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. PMID 32591428. ↩
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