Myrcene

Myrcene is a monoterpene found in juniper, thyme, rosemary, parsley, hops, lemongrass, verbena, cannabis, bitter orange, mastic, sitka spruce, white pine, and hop, celery leaf, Cape May, and bay.  Myrcene is not skin sensitizing upon oxidation.

Links to Plants Containing Myrcene

Juniper Berry

Orange

Pine

Rosemary

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.

GASTRO-PROTECTIVE

• Β-myrcene, a minor constituent in Citrus aurantium, inhibited gastric and duodenal ulcers by increasing the levels of gastric mucosa.  From:  Bonamin, F., Moraes, T. M., dos Santos, R. C., Kushima, H., Faria, F. M., Silva, M. A., … & da Rocha, L. R. (2014). The effect of a minor constituent of essential oil from Citrus aurantium: the role of β-myrcene in preventing peptic ulcer disease. Chemico-biological interactions, 212, 11-19.

SEDATIVE

• Citral, limonene and myrcene showed sedative and motor relaxant effects.  From:  do Vale, T. G., Furtado, E. C., Santos, J. G., & Viana, G. S. B. (2002). Central effects of citral, myrcene and limonene, constituents of essential oil chemotypes from Lippia alba (Mill.) NE Brown. Phytomedicine, 9(8), 709-714.

ANTIOXIDANT

• Rosemary essential oil and its constituents demonstrated antibacterial and antioxidant activities.  Myrcene was the constituent associated with antioxidant activity and alpha pinene was a strong antibacterial.  1,8-cineole was effective against the E. coli bacteria.  From:  Ojeda-Sana, A. M., van Baren, C. M., Elechosa, M. A., Juárez, M. A., & Moreno, S. (2013). New insights into antibacterial and antioxidant activities of rosemary essential oils and their main components. Food Control, 31(1), 189-195.  Link:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2012.09.022

ANTI-NOCICEPTIVE / ANALGESIC

• Myrcene from lemongrass had an antinociceptive effect in mice.  From:  Rao, V. S. N., Menezes, A. M. S., & Viana, G. S. B. (1990). Effect of myrcene on nociception in mice. Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology, 42(12), 877-878.
• Beta myrcene had an analgesic effect in mice.  From:  Lorenzetti, B. B., Souza, G. E., Sarti, S. J., Santos Filho, D., & Ferreira, S. H. (1991). Myrcene mimics the peripheral analgesic activity of lemongrass tea. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 34(1), 43-48.
• Myrcene induced antinociception in mice.  From:  Rao, V. S. N., Menezes, A. M. S., & Viana, G. S. B. (1990). Effect of myrcene on nociception in mice. Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology, 42(12), 877-878.
• In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated an analgesic effect of lemongrass.  This maybe related to the release of endogenous opioids and maybe related to the myrcene constituent.  From: Natural Medicines (2018). Lemongrass Monograph.  Retrieved in July, 2016.  Retrieved from www.naturalmedicines.com

IMMUNE STIMULANT

• Phytoncides (like alpha pinene, carene and myrcene) found in wood essential oils significantly enhance human natural killer cell activity, important to the immune system.  From: Li, Q., Nakadai, A., Matsushima, H., Miyazaki, Y., Krensky, A. M., Kawada, T., & Morimoto, K. (2006). Phytoncides (wood essential oils) induce human natural killer cell activity. Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology, 28(2), 319-333.

ANTI-CANCER

• A large number of essential oil studies in vitro and in vivo against cancer, as well as a focus on constituents including: carvacrol, d-limonene, geraniols, myrcene, perillyl alcohol , α-humulene , β-caryophyllene, thymol, citral, terpinen-4-ol.  From:  Gautam, N., Mantha, A. K., & Mittal, S. (2014). Essential Oils and Their Constituents as Anticancer Agents: A Mechanistic View. BioMed Research International, 2014, 154106

By: Kathy Sadowski

Updated: 4/19/19