Farnesene
Green apple, fruity, woody
Terpene
What is farnesene?
Farnesene is a sesquiterpene that gives green apples their fruity aroma — it's found in apple skin, hops, chamomile, and many other plants, and contributes to some of the fruity character of beer. Its aroma is green, fruity, and slightly woody.
Effects
Farnesene carries anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity in early research. In cannabis it adds a fresh, appley, fruity note — a useful counterpoint in profiles dominated by pine and citrus. The alpha and beta forms differ subtly, and labs may report either.
Research note
Evidence is mostly preclinical, but its green-apple fingerprint is one of the most recognizable minor-terpene aromas. The beta form — trans-beta-farnesene — is famous for something else entirely: it's the aphid alarm pheromone, and it doubles as a host-finding signal for aphid predators. In nature, one molecule can play very different roles.
Conditions that cite this compound
These condition guides point here — they cover the same compound from the patient side.