What is Nerolidol?

Have you ever smelled that intense woody, floral, or citrusy aroma that jasmine, lavender, and lemongrass emanates? If you have, then you have probably been exposed to Norolidol before. Also known as peruviol and penetrol, this natural sesquiterpene alcohol is found in the essential oils of a wide variety of different plants. You can find it mostly in the Brassavola nodosa, a type of orchid native from Mexico. However, you can also find it in smaller amounts in some cannabis strains.

Nerolidol is known to have plenty of different effects that can be useful for many purposes. Though most of these effects are yet to be verified in humans, scientists now have a good idea of what benefits Nerolidol could bring to our health. The following article will walk you through all the aspects of Nerolidol.

Nerolidol Terpene Effects

This volatile plant-derived natural compound is known to cause a wide range of beneficial effects. Some plants produce Nerolidol naturally as a barrier of defense against insects attack or insect feeding. This sesquiterpene is currently under study as a skin penetration enhancer of other terpenes’ transdermal absorption and several therapeutic drugs.

The more science delves into the many beneficial effects that this terpene can provide, the more opportunities open to possible applications of Nerolidol. As of now, here are some verified effects of this compound:

Sedative

This is one of the most known effects this sesquiterpene causes. A study was posted in 2013 by the journal Neurochemical Research, which states that it can act as a sleep aid agent in mice.

Anti-anxiety

In 2016, a study driven in mice and posted by the Indian Journal of Pharmacology found that nerolidol seemed to have anti-anxiety effects. A different study revealed Nerolidol is also related to some cannabis strains that have the peculiarity of reducing anxiety. This suggests Nerolidol could play a significant role in cannabis calming properties.

Antioxidant

Nerolidol demonstrated potential in treating some neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Researchers discovered by researchers in 2016 when they ran a study in rodents where nerolidol protected cells against oxidative stress had apparent antioxidant properties. This study was published in the journal BMC Neuroscience.

Antifungal

Nerolidol is considered an antifungal agent since 2007 when a group of researchers studied guinea pigs where they found this naturally occurring compound could protect them from skin fungus.

Anticancer

A 2017 Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology study proved that one of the two isomers from Nerolidol, cis-nerolidol, reduced cell growth and induced cell death in human liver cancer.

Antibacterial

Among the many effects of Nerolidol is this terpene’s ability to make certain types of bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli more susceptible to antibiotics. This information was bareheaded in a 2003 study published in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. A different study published by the Netherlands in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents in 2007 demonstrated that Nerolidol could be a tool against malaria when used in combination with other drugs.

Nerolidol Terpene Benefits

Although Nerolidol effects are known since a while ago, many of the studies have been conducted on animals. Researchers are still trying to get a better picture studying how the therapeutic effects of Nerolidol could translate into potential health benefits for humans.

Nerolidol Uses

This terpene is actually widely used in today’s industry for a lot of purposes. It is one of the terpenes permitted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use as a food flavoring agent, and it is used for that purpose by a lot of different food companies. Its strong woody, citrus, and floral scents make it perfect to be used in perfumery as an additive to lotions and perfumes. Non-cosmetic products such as detergents, shampoos, and cleansers also contain Nerolidol.

Nerolidol for Lice

It is known that Arabidopsis lyrata ssp. Petraea flower naturally produces Nerolidol in response to insect and parasite feeding. Scientists found that this same insecticidal feature nerolidol has on plants can work as a head lice killer and repellant. To use Nerolidol as part of a natural head lice killer treatment, just do the following:

1. Pour ten drops of tea tree oil and 20 drops of nerolidol into 1/4 cup of base oil, and then apply the mixture generously to the hair and scalp.
2. Place a shower cap over your head and leave the mixture on your head for 1 hour.
3. Then remove the mixture of your head, rinsing with abundant water and making sure of not letting behind any medicine remains on your scalp and hair.

What is Trans-nerolidol?

Trans-nerolidol is one of the two isomers of Nerolidol, and the main difference between these two isomers is they differ in the geometry of the central double bond. Still, they present and keep all effects and benefits Nerolidol can bring by itself.

Where to Buy Nerolidol

Buying Nerolidol is not a hard thing to do. Most dispensaries are aware of the benefits of this miraculous terpene. For this reason, most of these stores should have in their stacks cannabis extractions high in nerolidol. It is always good to check the label to see if your product is marked like that. Aromatherapy stores are a place to find Nerolidol as well. However, buying Nerolidol online could be the easiest way to do it. There is a wide range of options and products containing nerolidol for many different purposes.

Nerolidol Strains

As we said before, you can find Nerolidol present in the terpene profile of various cannabis strains that are mostly related to anti-anxiety or sedative effects. Cannabis strains that have high levels of this terpene are:

• Jack Herer
• Blue Dream
• Black Lime Reserve
• Chemdawg
• Island Sweet Skunk
• Skywalker OG

The high amount of THC some of these strains contain, especially the Blue Dream and the Skywalker OG strains, may have the characteristic of enhancing the psychoactive and sedative effects of Nerolidol in humans.

While science studies the great benefits of Nerolidol in humans, you can simply smoke one of the mentioned strains to give yourself the relaxation and general well-being this complex terpene can provide you.

If you are looking to learn more about terpenes, check our complete list of terpenes and their effects.