With inflammation underlying numerous diseases, myrcene is the subject of a broad array of current research.Ī.J. Myrcene also showed powerful antiinflammatory and anticatabolic effects in a human chondrocyte model of osteoarthritis ( Rufino et al., 2015). Al-Omari (2007) demonstrated that myrcene improved glucose tolerance in alloxan diabetic rats comparable to metformin, without an effect on glucose levels in normal rats. At very high doses, myrcene in mice was a sedative comparable to phenobarbital ( Gurgel do Vale et al, 2002) the effect was increased by simultaneous administration of citral, a mixture of other terpenes.
In contrast to morphine, no tolerance was observed after repeated dosing in rats ( Lorenzetti et al., 1991). However, myrcene’s lack of affinity for opioid receptors points to α-2-adrenoceptor-stimulated release of endogenous opiates. It has a significant analgesic effect, which is blocked by the action of naloxone, an opioid antagonist, suggesting a mechanism of action through the opioid receptor ( Rao et al., 1990). Myrcene has been shown to enhance transdermal absorption ( Schmitt et al., 2009). One mechanism that would be of particular note in cannabis is its claimed effect on the permeability of cell membranes, particularly the blood–brain barrier (BBB), increasing transport of cannabinoids into the brain however, perusal of claimed references in the popular literature shows a lack of hard data regarding brain transport. Myrcene synergizes the activities of terpenes and other compounds in a variety of ways. In culinary and perfume use, myrcene’s aroma is earthy, fruity, and clove-like it is pungent in higher concentrations. Myrcene, better known as the active sedating principle of hops and lemongrass, is also found in basil, mangos, and its namesake, Myrcia sphaerocarpa, a medicinal shrub from Brazil traditionally used to treat diabetes, diarrhea, dysentery, and hypertension ( Ulbricht, 2011). Alexandros Makriyannis, in Nutraceuticals (Second Edition), 2021 Myrcene