(±)-Camphene is a bicyclic monoterpene found in a variety of plants, including Cannabis, that has diverse biological activities, including antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, hypolipidemic, and insecticidal properties.1,2,3,4,5 It inhibits proliferation of B16/F10-Nex2 mouse melanoma, as well as human A2058 melanoma, HL-60 leukemia, U87MG glioblastoma, and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells (IC50s = 71.2, 35.2, 27, 55.4, and 34.7 μg/ml, respectively).2 (±)-Camphene (70 μg/ml) increases caspase-3 activity and induces apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress in B16/F10-Nex2 cells. It lowers plasma levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides (TGs) in a Triton WR-1339-induced rat model of hyperlipidemia when administered at a dose of 1.5 μg/g.3 Dietary administration of (±)-camphene (0.2%) also inhibits hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in a mouse model of high-fat diet-induced obesity.4 It also has larvicidal activity against third instar H. armigera larvae (LC50 = 10.64 μg/ml) and ovicidal activity against H. armigera eggs (EC50 = 35.39 μg/ml).5 Formulations containing (±)-camphene have been used as perfume and food additives.
References
1. Elzinga, S., Fischedick, J., Podkolinski, R., et al. Cannabinoids and terpenes as chemotaxonomic markers in Cannabis. Nat. Prod. Chem. Res. 3(4), 181 (2015).
2. Girola, N., Figueiredo, C.R., Farias, C.F., et al. Camphene isolated from essential oil of Piper cernuum (Piperaceae) induces intrinsic apoptosis in melanoma cells and displays antitumor activity in vivo. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 467(4), 928-934 (2015).
3. Vallianou, I., Peroulis, N., Pantazis, P., et al. Camphene, a plant-derived monoterpene, reduces plasma cholesterol and triglycerides in hyperlipidemic rats independently of HMG-CoA reductase activity. PLoS One 6(11), e20516 (2011).
4. Kim, S., Choi, Y., Choi, S., et al. Dietary camphene attenuates hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in mice. Obesity (Silver Spring) 22(2), 408-417 (2014).
5. Benelli, G., Govindarajan, M., Rajeswary, M., et al. Insecticidal activity of camphene, zerumbone and α-humulene from Cheilocostus speciosus rhizome essential oil against the Old-World bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 148, 781-786 (2018).