Composition of the heartwood essential oil of incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens Torr.)

Sheeba Veluthoor; Rick G. Kelsey; M.P. Gonzalez-Hernandez; Nicholas Panella; Marc Dolan; Joe Karchesy

doi:10.1515/hf.2011.051

Treesearch

Composition of the heartwood essential oil of incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens Torr.)

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Sheeba Veluthoor, Rick G. Kelsey, M.P. Gonzalez-Hernandez, Nicholas Panella, Marc Dolan, Joe Karchesy

Year:

2011

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Pacific Northwest Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1515/hf.2011.051

Source:

Holzforschung. 65: 333-336

Download (PDF 276 KB)

Download (PDF 276 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/42623.pdf

Abstract

Incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) is a tree native to Oregon and California, perhaps best known for its aromatic wood and use in the manufacturing of pencils. The wood is also highly valued for its decorative appearance and durability in lumber, related sawmill products, and fence posts. Chemical investigations of heartwood extracts have shown the presence of carvacrol, thymoquinone, related p-cymene and p-menthane based phenols, and tropolones. Recent investigations have found the steam distilled essential oil from heartwood to have significant biological activity against arthropods of public health importance such as fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, as well as Phytophthora ramorum, the organism responsible for Sudden Oak Death. In this paper we report on the GC-MS analysis of this essential oil.

Keywords

Calocedrus decurrens, GC-MS, heartwood essential oil

Citation

Veluthoor, Sheeba; Kelsey, Rick G.; Gonzalez-Hernandez, M.P.; Panella, Nicholas; Dolan, Marc; Karchesy, Joe. 2011. Composition of the heartwood essential oil of incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens Torr.). Holzforschung. 65: 333-336.