Cedarwood Oils: The Wood Essential Oil Compositions from Trees Known as “Cedar”

In addition to the true cedars (<i>Cedrus</i> species), there are several genera of trees commonly called "cedar", including species of <i>Callitropsis</i>, <i>Calocedrus</i>, <i>Cedrela</i>, <i>Chamaecyparis</i>, <i>Cryptomeria</i>, <i>Cupressus</i>, <i>Juniperus</i>, <i>Thuja</i>, and <i>Widdringtonia</i>. The wood essential oils (cedarwood oils) of these trees have been used as flavor and fragrance materials, as well as in medicinal applications. In this study, we present summaries of the wood essential oils from trees known as "cedar". A literature search was carried out on cedarwood oils and, when available, compared with commercial wood essential oils from the Aromatic Plant Research Center (APRC) collection. <i>Cedrus</i> wood oils are generally dominated by the himachalenes and atlantones. Sesquiterpenoids are abundant in other cedarwood oils, including cedrenes, cedrol, and thujopsene in <i>Cupressus funebris</i>, <i>Juniperus ashei</i>, and <i>Juniperus virginiana</i>. Cadinane sesquiterpenoids are generally abundant in <i>Cedrela odorata</i> and <i>Cryptomeria japonica</i>, while nootkatane sesquiterpenoids are found in <i>Callitropsis nootkatensis</i> and eudesmane sesquiterpenoids are found in <i>Thuja occidentalis</i>. Sesquiterpenoids are generally responsible for the woody fragrances of cedarwood oils, but monoterpenoids can also be dominant (e.g., <i>Calocedrus</i> species).