Constituent · Sesquiterpene hydrocarbon
β-cadinene
β-cadinene is a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon — a heavier, woody or spicy base-note compound that lingers longer than the light terpenes. Across our dataset it was measured in 12 oils (23 samples), concentrating most in Melissa, Vetiver, Goldenrod.
Essential oils richest in β-cadinene
Measured relative composition (GC peak-area %) pooled across published GC-MS samples — median, typical range (middle 50%) and the maximum seen.
| Oil | Median | Typical range | Max | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melissa | 25.5% | 25.5%–25.5% | 25.5% | 1 |
| Vetiver | 3.6% | 3.6%–3.6% | 3.6% | 1 |
| Goldenrod | 2.8% | 2.8%–2.8% | 2.8% | 1 |
| Citronella | 2.08% | 1.35%–2.82% | 3.55% | 2 |
| Patchouli | 1.02% | 1.02%–1.02% | 1.02% | 1 |
| Coriander | 0.9% | 0.7%–1.1% | 1.3% | 2 |
| Carrot seed | 0.51% | 0.51%–0.51% | 0.51% | 1 |
| Clove | 0.4% | 0.26%–0.55% | 0.69% | 2 |
| Black pepper | 0.26% | 0.22%–0.73% | 1.57% | 7 |
| Basil | 0.25% | 0.23%–0.28% | 0.3% | 2 |
| Spearmint | 0.2% | 0.2%–0.2% | 0.2% | 2 |
| Lime | 0.17% | 0.17%–0.17% | 0.17% | 1 |
Oils in our library are linked above — open any profile for its full composition, safety panel and the research behind it.
Related constituents
Other sesquiterpene hydrocarbon compounds across the oils.
Figures are GC peak-area percentages pooled across published GC-MS samples, not concentrations, and describe chemistry — not health effects. How this is built →