Constituent · Sesquiterpene hydrocarbon
β-caryophyllene
A peppery, woody sesquiterpene widespread in copaiba, clove and black pepper; the only common one that binds cannabinoid receptors in lab studies.
Essential oils richest in β-caryophyllene
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copaiba | 49.07% | 25.46%–53.29% | 58.18% | 15 |
| Black pepper | 20.76% | 7.63%–28.52% | 82.37% | 27 |
| Sacred frankincense | 20.58% | 20.58%–20.58% | 20.58% | 1 |
| Palo santo | 15.8% | 15.8%–15.8% | 15.8% | 1 |
| Clove | 12.41% | 7.37%–14.8% | 79.26% | 18 |
| Ylang ylang | 10.2% | 7.27%–15.42% | 17.01% | 8 |
| Melissa | 8.25% | 2.82%–9.01% | 27.41% | 28 |
| Frankincense | 7.7% | 3.5%–11.44% | 11.5% | 4 |
| Helichrysum | 4.06% | 2.01%–4.82% | 19.78% | 13 |
| Cajeput | 3.71% | 3.71%–3.71% | 3.71% | 1 |
| Patchouli | 3.59% | 2.96%–4.54% | 6.76% | 18 |
| Hyssop | 3.56% | 3.28%–3.95% | 4.16% | 11 |
| Cinnamon bark | 3.54% | 2.75%–5.2% | 7.01% | 21 |
| Manuka | 3.1% | 3.1%–3.1% | 3.1% | 1 |
| Spearmint | 3% | 1.17%–3.81% | 10.92% | 42 |
| Marjoram | 2.79% | 2.21%–3.75% | 6.02% | 32 |
| Peppermint | 2.53% | 1.2%–4.23% | 5.92% | 30 |
| Ravintsara | 2.49% | 1.2%–3.02% | 10.7% | 14 |
| Yarrow | 2.4% | 1.94%–7.52% | 38.7% | 23 |
| Thyme | 2.37% | 1.31%–3.23% | 8.18% | 90 |
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 →