Compound Monograph
Pinocamphone
Pinocamphone is a bicyclic monoterpene ketone found in hyssop essential oil and noted for neurotoxic potential at high doses.
Sources · 1
Where Does It Come From?
Pinocamphone is a naturally occurring monoterpene ketone, found in Hyssop. It is flagged as moderately toxic.
Concentration
Content by Source
Concentrations not reported. No percent-dry-weight or mg/g figures have been published for this compound in its source plants.
Research & Evidence
Pinocamphone is a bicyclic monoterpene ketone and one of the main constituents of hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) essential oil, occurring together with its isomer isopinocamphone. It contributes to the aroma of hyssop oil. It belongs to the group of ketone-containing terpenes that are of particular interest in essential-oil safety because of their potential effects on the nervous system.
Toxicity & Safety
Pinocamphone and isopinocamphone are regarded as the components responsible for the convulsant potential of hyssop essential oil, which is why hyssop oil is treated with caution and generally avoided in high doses, in young children, and by people who are pregnant or prone to seizures. At the trace levels present in culinary use of the herb the concern is much smaller, but the concentrated oil should be used sparingly and knowledgeably.
