Pinacamphone / camphone is a ketone as found in hyssop and tansy, and is potentially neurotoxic.
Many ketones can be toxic internally and topically. Some can be convulsant, toxic to the liver, or neurotoxic in high doses. Do not overuse or use for prolonged periods of time.
- Sage, cedar, thuja, and hyssop essential oil showed convulsant and neurotoxic activity in mice related to the constituents camphor, thujone, thuja, and pinocamphone. From: Millet, Y., Jouglard, J., Steinmetz, M. D., Tognetti, P., Joanny, P., & Arditti, J. (1981). Toxicity of some essential plant oils. Clinical and experimental study. Clinical toxicology, 18(12), 1485-1498.
- Toxic induced seizures from the following plants was reported: eucalyptus, fennel, hyssop, pennyroyal, rosemary, sage, savin, tansy, thuja, turpentine, and wormwood. Ketone constituents including camphor, pinocamphone, thujone, cineole, pulegone, sabinylacetate, and fenchone were mentioned. From: Burkhard, P. R., Burkhardt, K., Haenggeli, C. A., & Landis, T. (1999). Plant-induced seizures: reappearance of an old problem. Journal of neurology, 246(8), 667-670.
Links to Plants Containing Isopinacamphone
RESEARCH
The listings of research below represents a compilation of scientific articles found on the topic, with a very brief overview description of each article/study. This compilation of research articles does not necessarily imply that there are adequate results to demonstrate safe and/or effective human use of any herb listed.
MUSCLE RELAXANT
- Hyssop essential oil and its constituent isopinocamphone had a muscle relaxing action on the intestine in vitro. From: Lu, M., Battinelli, L., Daniele, C., Melchioni, C., Salvatore, G., & Mazzanti, G. (2002). Muscle relaxing activity of Hyssopus officinalis essential oil on isolated intestinal preparations. Planta medica, 68(03), 213-216.
By: Kathy Sadowski
Updated: 1/7/19
