Ot-Humulene

Eight olibanum samples of unknown botanical origin have been analysed [26]. The chemical compositions are summarized in Table 10.3 for three of them. Both the olibanum coming from Somalia and that from a market in Ta izz (Yemen) have been attributed to Boswellia carteri or sacra on the basis of the occurrence of the characteristic diterpenes isoincensole and isoincensole acetate (128) together with diterpene 126. The absence of methylchavicol (38), oxygenated sesquiterpene 91 and diterpene 124 and the presence in relatively large amount of (3-caryophyllene (73), ot-humulene (78) and caryophyllene oxide (95) excluded the hypothesis of a B. serrata sample. 

Tumorigenesis is a complex multistep process influenced by many factors. There are some population-based studies indicating that a diet rich in isoprenoids play a role in the ability to avoid cancers [61]. In various experiments and test systems, some mono- and sesquiterpenes showed activity, where peril alcohol and D-limonene were of greatest interest. a-Bisabolol, the anti-inflammatory compound of chamomile oil, showed a strong time- and dose-dependent cytotoxic effect on glial cells [61]. p-Caryophyllene showed some potentiating effect on the anticancer activity of ot-humulene, isocaryophyUene, and paclitaxel on various cell lines [53]. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the anticancer potential of thymoquinone [53]. 

Figure 1 GCMS total ion chromatogram of a commercial hydrodistilled essential oil of Ocimum sanctum. L. Peak identifications 1, a-pinene 2, camphene 3, jS-pinene 4, -myrcene 5, limonene 6, 1,8-cineol 7, (Z -ocimene 8, coapaene 9, fi-bourbonene 10, linalool 11, /1-cubebene 12, (Z -caryophyllene 13, j8-elemene 14, (E)-caryophyllene 15, ot-humulene 16, bomeol 17, -selinene 18, a-selinene 19, germacrene A 20, caryophyllene oxide 21, methyl eugenol 22, eugenoL, Compound tentatively identified on the basis of mass spectral database match. GCMS, gas chromatography mass spectrometry.

---