Brief Overview:
3-Carene, also known as Carene, is a volatile compound usually present in essential oils of Rosemary, Pine, Bell Pepper, Basil, and Cannabis. It is one of the constituent terpenes of turpentine. Carene has a sweet and pungent odor which is a amalgamated scent of fir needles, musky earth and damp woodlands, and has many uses.
Synthetic Process:
Carene is produced from the distillation of turpentine obtained from Pinus silvestris pine. A combination of batch-steam distillation and extractive distillation is used to obtain a good separation of carene from the other terpene chemicals due to the closeness of their boiling points.
It is used as a raw material in the perfume industry, as food flavoring, and also as an chemical intermediate. Carene also has anti-inflammatory effects, act as a antihistamine as well as a central nervous system depressant.