Nerolidol is an acyclic sesquiterpene alcohol occurring as cis and trans isomers. It contributes woody, floral, fresh-bark and faintly citrus notes to neroli (bitter orange blossom) oil, jasmine, tea and ginger. In cannabis it is a minor terpenoid, more prominent in some cultivars than others, and often listed as "trans-nerolidol" on lab panels.
In practice
Readings range from not detected to about 0.1-0.3% w/w in flowerbeing reviewed It is one of the less volatile terpenoids on a typical panel, so its relative share holds up in stored material. Because aroma depends on threshold as much as amount, a modest nerolidol figure can still be noticeable in the background of a profile.
Don't confuse with
- Neral / geranial: citral components, lemon-scented aldehydes.
- Linalool: the monoterpene alcohol analogue, smaller and more floral.
- Farnesol: a related sesquiterpene alcohol with a different structure.
A sesquiterpene is a fifteen-carbon terpene made from farnesyl pyrophosphate, such as beta-caryophyllene, humulene and bisabolol; they are heavier and less volatile than monoterpenes.A terpenoid is a terpene-derived compound that carries extra functional groups, usually oxygen (alcohols, oxides, ketones), such as linalool, bisabolol or caryophyllene oxide.ND (non-detect) on a COA means the compound was not found at or above the method's limit of detection; it does not mean the amount is zero.Linalool is a floral, lavender-scented monoterpene alcohol found in lavender and some cannabis cultivars, usually at low levels below 0.3% w/w.A monoterpene is a ten-carbon terpene made from geranyl pyrophosphate, such as myrcene, limonene, pinene or terpinolene; they are the most volatile terpenes and the first lost in drying.Bisabolol (alpha-bisabolol) is a mild, floral, chamomile-like sesquiterpene alcohol found as a minor terpene in some cannabis cultivars.A terpene profile is the measured mix of terpenes in a sample, reported as each compound's % w/w and the total, used to describe and compare cultivar aroma chemistry.
