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

others, with their concentrations in decreasing
order and the first four accounting for about
18% of commercial root oil;7,8(Z,Z,Z)-1,8,-
11,14-heptadecatetraene;9,10an unusual ter-
penoid C 14 -ketone (E)-9-isopropyl-6-meth-
yl-5,9-decadien-2-one);^11 a- andb-ionones;
dihydro-a-ionone; (E)-geranylacetone; aplo-
taxene and dihydroaplotaxene; 3,9,11-guaia-
triene-l2-carboxylic acid;^12 costic acid; pal-
mitic, linoleic, and oleic acids; friedelin;b-si-
tosterol; and others (JIANGSU;MASADA).2–4,7
The sesquiterpene lactones (especially
alantolactone, dehydrocostus lactone, and
costunolide) have plant growth-regulating
activities.1,13

PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL
ACTIVITIES

Various fractions of costus oil have been
reported to have hypotensive activities in
anesthetized dogs, with 12-methoxydihydro-
costunolide and the delactonized oil being the
most potent, acting through direct peripheral
vasodilation and cardiac depression. Most
fractions were also effective in relieving
bronchial spasm induced by histamine and
acetylcholine in guinea pigs, but none had
antitussive activity.^5
A decoction of costus root is reported to
exhibit weak inhibitory activities on paraty-
phoid A bacterium and certain other patho-
genic bacteria (JIANGSU).

TOXICOLOGY

Costus and its derivatives (e.g., absolute used
in perfumes) are known to cause allergic

reactions (e.g., contact dermatitis) in hu-

mans.13–15

USES

Medicinal, Pharmaceutical, and Cosmetic.

Costus and its derivatives (essential oil, abso-

lute, and concrete) are used as fixatives and

fragrance components in creams, lotions, and

perfumes (e.g., Oriental types); reported max-

imum use level is 0.4% (no specific product

form given) in perfumes.^14

Food. Oil is used as a flavor component in

most major food products, including alcohol-

ic and nonalcoholic beverages, frozen dairy

desserts, candy, baked goods, gelatins and

puddings, and confectioner’s frosting. Use

levels are low, with highest average maxi-

mum of about 0.0004% (4.04 and 4.16 ppm)

reported for alcoholic beverages and baked

goods.

Traditional Medicine. Root has been used

for millennia in China and India as a tonic,

stomachic, carminative, and stimulant and in

treating asthma, cough, dysentery, and chol-

era, among others; also used in incense.

COMMERCIAL PREPARATIONS

Mainly oil; it is official in F.C.C.

Regulatory Status. Has been approved for

food use (§1721.510.)

REFERENCES

See the General References forARCTANDER;BARRETT;FEMA;FOGARTY;GUENTHER;GUPTA;JIANGSU;NANJING.

1. P. S. Kalsi et al.,Phytochemistry, 16 , 784
   (1977).


2. S. B. Mathur,Phytochemistry, 11 , 449
   (1972).
   3. S. V. Govindan and S.C. Bhattacharyya,
   Indian J. Chem., Sect. B, 15 , 956 (1977).
   4. S. B. Mathur and S. C. Bhattacharyya,Int.
   Cong. Essent. Oils (Pap.), 6 , 126 (1974).

Costus oil 231