Terpene Isolates 101: Bisabolene

If you're just getting started with terpenes, odds are you're wondering how each isolate can be used. Terpene isolates can be used in hemp, CBD, and cannabis products as well as concentrates, vapes, foods, beverages, and aromatherapy infusions. In fact, adding terpenes to health and beauty products, cosmetics, vaporizer cartridges and e-juice, foods and beverages, and aromatherapy infusions is a great way to add an extra boost of body-nourishing benefits to your products and make THC/CBD products more effective. This week, we're diving deeper into the citrusy, spicy, and wood-scented terpene isolate known as Bisabolene.

Bisabolene Isolate

Bisabolene is a sesquiterpene found alongside other sesquiterpenes like b-Caryophyllene and Limonene in a variety of plants, fruits, and insects. It has been used in the cosmetic industry as an odor-booster in things like soap, perfume, makeup, shampoo, hair spray, and lotion, thanks to its uniquely warm, woody, citrus, and spice scent. It has also been used as a flavoring agent, though it isn't soluble in water in its natural form.

Bisabolene has also been used in aromatherapy infusions. Some evidence suggests that this terpene when coupled with other more dominant terpenes, like Pinene or Limonene, can help create an environment that fosters mental energy and invigoration along with a deep sense of calm. Bisabolene has notable anti-anxiety effects and may help scrub bacteria, viruses, microbes, and fungal spores from the air.

A handful of studies have been published about Bisabolene terpenes and their many uses. Some studies suggest they act as an insecticide, anti-inflammatory agent, pain reliever, spasm and convulsant reducer, and cancer killer. When introduced to other terpenes and cannabinoids, Bisabolene has shown to act more like b-Caryophyllene in the sense that it takes on more properties of a cannabinoid while simultaneously boosting the effects of cannabinoids and other terpenes.

Below, we've touched base on everything you need to know about Bisabolene terpenes, their uses and effects, and a couple of plants that contain these terpenes naturally. Just keep in mind that while science has a basic understanding of Bisabolene terpenes and some of its uses, further study on humans is still necessary to support and solidify all of the findings. Always talk to your doctor before beginning a new dietary supplement, even one with naturally-occurring terpenes like Bisabolene.

Benefits of Bisabolene Terpenes

Bisabolene has several documented uses and benefits. While it's been used commercially in fragrances and flavoring agents, there are several other areas where Bisabolene has been used and studied. A handful of studies have been conducted on human cells, though much of the evidence pertains to external studies, animal models, and isolated cell cultures.

Bisabolene, like most terpenes, is naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial in nature. This citrus-derived terpene is a great surface disinfectant and has been shown to be effective against the treatment-resistant staph virus by acting in synergy with ampicillin. Interestingly, some insects and bacteria also produce Bisabolene terpenes as pheromones or byproducts. Bacteria-derived Bisabolene has the potential to be used in the synthesis of biofuels. Another external use of Bisabolene is as a potent insecticidal agent that is great for controlling mosquito larvae.

When taken internally, Bisabolene has shown to work in a number of ways. For starters, it's a potent anti-inflammatory agent. Its ability to reduce inflammation indicates that it may also be a valuable analgesic or pain reliever. In a study on mice, Bisabolene was also able to reduce the duration and frequency of convulsions caused by seizures. A similar study found Bisbolene to be a potent antispasmodic.

The most interesting studies regarding Bisabolene were tested against certain types of cancer cells. In most studies, Bisbolene partnered with other sesquiterpenes and cannabinoids were able to reduce cancer cells within the body. In a specific study against breast cancer cells, Bisabolene was found to be cytotoxic, like venom, against aggressive breast cancer cells without harming healthy cells. In other cancers, like colon and rectal cancers, Bisabolene was able to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death in the cancerous cells.

Last but not least, Bisabolene has been studied in depth alongside other primary terpenes like Limonene and cannabinoids like THC, CBD, and CBG to further study the Entourage Effect. Bisabolene, like most terpenes, was able to boost the effectiveness of cannabinoids and other terpenes, amplifying effects like reducing pain and inflammation. Bisabolene is also a larger sesquiterpene that acts like a cannabinoid itself in some ways, much like b-Caryophyllene, by binding to different receptors in the endocannabinoid system.

All in all, Bisabolene is a powerful sesquiterpene boasting a variety of health and therapeutic applications. Further study on this powerful terpene is needed to accurately assess its medicinal and wellness value, but science is already taking a closer look into this rarer terpene. We're excited to see how useful this terpene will be in time.

Natural Sources of Bisabolene Terpenes

Bisabolene terpenes are often found alongside a handful of other sesquiterpenes, like Limonene, Terpinolene, b-Caryophyllene, and Humulene. While it isn't found in high concentrations in cannabis, it can be found in the essential oils of a lot of different plants. It occurs in the highest natural concentrations in lemons, anise, bergamot, wild carrots, and oregano. Bisabolene also functions as a pheromone in a handful of different insects, like stink bugs and fruit flies. It's also produced by several strains of fungi and bacteria, though science hasn't totally pinpointed the biological role it plays within these organisms. Interestingly, Bisabolene terpenes released from e.coli bacteria are currently being studied for streamlining the process of synthesizing biofuels. Below is a list of plants containing higher concentrations of Bisabolene terpenes.

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TLDR; Bisabolene Terpenes

- Anti-inflammatory

- Antiseptic

- Antibacterial

- Antimicrobial

- Analgesic

- Antispasmodic

- Anticancer

- Cytotoxic against breast cancer cells

- Causes apoptosis (programmed cell death) in certain cancer cells

- Insecticidal

- Possible anticonvulsant (animal models)

- Enhances absorption rates of cannabinoids, boosting their therapeutic effects

Common Uses of Bisabolene Terpenes

Whether through your favorite fruits and spices or through an aromatherapy diffuser, Bisabolene isolate smells and tastes great and does amazing stuff within your body.

Bisabolene terpenes can be safely added to all sorts of products to reduce inflammation, kill bacteria, and even kill certain types of cancer cells. It can safely be eaten, drank, infused, and inhaled with a little bit of mixing. It can also be used to improve cannabis products like vapes and concentrates that may have lost cannabinoid potency or terpene content during extraction.

Add Bisabolene terpenes to foods and beverages to enjoy the anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and pain-relieving properties within the whole body. A dash of water-soluble Bisabolene terpenes in your favorite foods or beverages add a citrusy, yet spicy and woody flavor that can help to make you feel more relaxed and invigorated.

Add Bisabolene terpenes to essential oil diffusers and aromatherapy infusions to kill airborne bacteria, viruses, microbes, and fungal spores and help you breathe easier. The citrusy, spicy, woody and tropical aroma is also great for promoting a relaxing yet energizing atmosphere to your daily routine.

Add Bisabolene terpenes to cannabis concentrates and hemp oils made from strains with higher citrus or spicy terpene content, such as Limonene, Terpinolene, b-Caryophyllene, and Humulene since Bisabolene is found in the same family of sesquiterpenes and offers similar flavors and effects. Bisabolene terpenes can make them smell and taste better and boost the potency of THC/CBD or other cannabinoid effects in a documented phenomenon known as the Entourage Effect.

Just keep in mind that not all terpenes are created equal. Different terpenes will always have different effects, but they're not all made the same. We know you have a choice when it comes to terpene providers, but no other choice comes close to our level of quality.

At Peak Supply Co, our Bisabolene terpene isolates are extracted from all-natural food-grade fruit, flower, and nut oils in our state-of-the-art facility. With our proprietary extraction and refinement method, we remove plant materials and any leftover impurities, leaving behind the purest terpene isolates on the market. Best of all, we even offer sample packs so you can try them all.