Cedarwood essential oil is a substance derived from needles, leaves & bark. This essential oil can be extracted via several techniques, including steam distillation, carbon dioxide distillation, and cold pressing bark, and berries of cedar trees.
Active components
The components found in cedarwood oil are sesquiterpene i.e., α- himachalene (12.5%) and β-himachalene (43%) associated with them are sesquiterpene alcohols (himachalol, allohimachalol, himadarol, isocentdarol, centdarol, deodarin ,dihydromyricetin, cedrin & cedrinoside are also isolated from cedar wood. Isohimachalone, a compound from the essential oil of cedar wood was isolated.
Pharmacological properties
- Antiseptic
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antispasmodic
- Insecticidal
- Antifungal
- Antioxidant
- Antimicrobial-Volatile oil and α- and β-pinene shows good anti bacterial activity. Extract and oil obtained from the root, stem, and leaf of plant shows significant inhibition of Coli.Extract from the wood part of plant found to have a good antibacterial action against gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus) and gram negative(Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli) bacteria.
- Antifungal- The antifungal activity of root oil and compounds against Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus was observed
- Insecticidal- Himalayan cedarwood oil show cidal property against adult Indian mosquitoes & housefly (Mucus domestica L.)
- Antioxidant Activity: Cedrus deodara showed strong antioxidant activity on 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical
- Wound healing property: Its oil has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities. The plant has also shown wound healing properties and is particularly useful in infective wounds.
- Immunomodulatory activity: Volatile oil of cedrus deodara inhibit neutrophil adhesion to nylon fibers and also inhibit type III hypersensitivity reaction i.e., arthus reaction.
