Drvo hinokija

Chamaecyparis obtusa, the Japanese cypress or hinoki, is a species of conifer in the cypress family, Cupressaceae, native to central Japan. It grows primarily on the islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. It is a slow-growing tree that may reach 35 m in height, with dark red-brown bark. Over 200 cultivars have been selected, from trees as large as the wild species down to dwarf plants under 30 cm high. The wood is lemon-scented, light pinkish-brown and highly rot-resistant. In Japan the tree is grown for its very high-quality timber, used to build palaces, temples, shrines, traditional noh theatres, baths, table tennis blades and masu. A similar cypress found on Taiwan is treated by different botanists either as a variety of this species, Chamaecyparis obtusa var. formosana, or as a separate species, Chamaecyparis taiwanensis.

Composition

The essential oil of Chamaecyparis obtusa contains a wide range of chemical compounds, among them sabinene, myrcene, limonene, terpinen-4-ol, alpha-terpineol, 3-carene, alpha-pinene, camphene, bornyl acetate, borneol, tau-muurolol and alpha-cadinol. In one batch of wood oil, alpha-pinene made up 24.96%, delta-cadinene 14.4%, alpha-cadinol 13.09% and T-muurolol 10%. Alpha-pinene is a terpene found in the oils of many species of coniferous trees. It is a clear colorless liquid with a boiling point of 155 °C. Leaves hold less essential oil than the wood. The major components of the essential oil in hinoki leaves are sabinene, alpha-terpinyl acetate, limonene, elemol, myrcene and hibaene. In a sample of Korean leaf oil, alpha-terpinyl acetate made up 18.89%, elemol 17.45% and sabinene 10.42%. That leaf oil held 23 identified compounds, with monoterpenes and oxygenated monoterpenes making up 59.23% and sesquiterpenes and oxygenated sesquiterpenes 39.65%.

The Hinokitiol Question

Hinokitiol (beta-thujaplicin) is a natural monoterpenoid found in the wood of trees in the family Cupressaceae. It is a tropolone derivative and one of the thujaplicins. Its formula is C₁₀H₁₂O₂ and its CAS number is 499-44-5. Hinokitiol was isolated from the essential oil component of the heartwood of Taiwanese hinoki, from which the compound took its name. Hinokitiol has been found in the heartwood of many other conifers of the Cupressaceae family, among them Western red cedar. Its concentration in the trees is 0.1-0.2% in Chamaecyparis taiwanensis (2 mg of hinokitiol per 1 g of dry sawdust) and 0.02% in Chamaecyparis obtusa (0.2 mg of hinokitiol per 1 g of dry sawdust). Hinokitiol is used in oral and skin care products and is a food additive used in Japan.

Other Facts

Essential oil distilled from the wood sells at a high price. The leaf oils possess activities such as anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and relaxation properties. Hinoki pollen can cause pollinosis, a specific type of allergic rhinitis. Together with Cryptomeria japonica (sugi, Japanese cedar), Chamaecyparis obtusa is the leading source of allergic pollen in Japan.

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