What is "thujone"

thujone \thujone\, n. An oil, C10H16O, the chief constituent of cedar leaf oil. A stimulant similar to camphor. Also called thujol, thuyol, absinthol, thuyone, tanacetol, tanacetone. Thule \Thu"le\, n. [L. Thule, Thyle, Gr. ?, ?.] The name given by ancient geographers to the northernmost part of the habitable world. According to some, this land was Norway, according to others, Iceland, or more probably Mainland, the largest of the Shetland islands; hence, the Latin phrase ultima Thule, farthest Thule.

n. (context organic compound English) Either of two isomers of a bicyclic monoterpenoid ketone found in several aromatic plants

Thujone is a ketone and a monoterpene that occurs naturally in two diastereomeric forms: (−)-α-thujone and (+)-β-thujone. It has a menthol odor. Though it is best known as a chemical compound in the spirit absinthe, absinthe contains only small quantities of thujone, so thujone is unlikely to be responsible for absinthe's alleged psychedelic effects. Thujone acts on GABA and 5-HT receptors in the brain. In many countries, the amount of thujone allowed in food or drink products is regulated. Thujone, as a component of several essential oils, is also used in perfumery.

In addition to the naturally occurring (−)-α-thujone and (+)-β-thujone, two other enantiomeric forms are possible: (+)-α-thujone and (−)-β-thujone:

-(-)-Thujon.svg|(−)-α-thujone -(+)-Thujon.svg|(+)-α-thujone -(+)-Thujon.svg|(+)-β-thujone -(-)-Thujon.svg|(−)-β-thujone