Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics

CADE OIL

Source: Juniperus oxycedrusL. (Family
Pinaceae).

Common/vernacular names:Cade oil, juniper
tar, oil of cade, oil of juniper tar.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The source of cade oil isJuniperus oxycedrus
or ‘‘prickly cedar,’’ a shrub or small tree native
to the Mediterranean region, which grows up
to about 4 m in height. The volatile oil (cade
oil) is obtained by destructive distillation of
the branches and wood, usually in the form
of shavings or chips. The resultant distillate
separates into three layers of which the upper-
most dark brown viscous layer is cade oil.
Rectified cade oil (the vapor of juniper tar) is
obtained by steam or vacuum distillation of
crude cade oil.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

The volatile oil contains the sesquiterpened-
cadinene as the major component (27.3%).1,2
Other major components includep-cresol and
guaiacol (LIST AND HO ̈RHAMMER;MARTINDALE).

PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL
ACTIVITIES

Reported to have keratolytic and antipruritic
properties andin vitroantimicrobial and anti-
fungal activities.3–5

TOXICOLOGY

Has been considered as an allergen (SAX); and
although other available data show it to be
relatively nontoxic,^6 recentin vivostudies

have shown that cade oil produces DNA ad-

duct formation in mouse and human skin

and mouse lung tissue.^5 Applied topically to

psoriasis patients, cade oil produced sufficient

damage to DNA to be potentially carciono-

genic.^7 The Cosmetic Ingredient Review

Expert Panel concluded that the data on the

safety of cade oil are not sufficient to support

its use in cosmetic products.^5

Acute oral LD 50 in rats: 8014 mg/kg. Toxic

effects noted include GI irritation and signs

of depression. Acute dermal toxicity in rab-

bits:>5 g/kg. No skin irritation or phototox-

icity found from topical application of cade oil

in humans, mice, and swine.^3

USES

Medicinal, Pharmaceutical, and Cosmetic.

Cade oil is widely used in topical preparations

for the treatment of parasitic skin diseases

and eczema; in antiseptic wound dressings,

analgesic and antipruritic preparations, and

dermatologic creams and ointments; also in

antidandruff shampoos, among others. Recti-

fied cade oil is used as a fragrance component

in soaps, detergents, creams, lotions, and

perfumes. Maximum use level reported is

0.2% in perfumes.^6 Maximum use concentra-

tion of cade oil in cosmetics ranges from 1%

to 5%.^5

Traditional Medicine. Used in treating var-

ious skin disorders and problems of the scalp

and hair loss; also used in cancers.^8

COMMERCIAL PREPARATIONS

Crude and rectified.

Regulatory Status. Regulated in the United

States as a dietary supplement. Cade oil (juni-

per tar oil) is official in U.S.P.

Cade oil 123