Sesquiterpenoids in Aquilaria oil and their medicinal insights: A structured review

Aquilaria oil, widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, has long been valued for its aromatic and therapeutic properties in treating ailments such as pain, inflammation, and fever. Despite extensive studies on its sesquiterpenoid content, the full medicinal potential of these compounds remains underexplored. This structured review systematically analyzed 177 articles from Scopus and Web of Science, of which 18 met the inclusion criteria, focusing on three main themes: biological activities, chemical characterization, and ethnobotanical and medicinal insights. The findings show that sesquiterpenoids in Aquilaria oil are predominantly humulane- and eudesmane-type compounds, frequently linked to anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. Current trends also highlight growing use of DNA barcoding and chemical profiling for species authentication and oil quality evaluation. Moreover, ethnobotanical evidence consistently supports its role as a sedative and immune-modulating agent, increasingly validated by pharmacological studies. Collectively, these insights underscore the therapeutic relevance of Aquilaria sesquiterpenoids and identify promising pathways for drug discovery and sustainable utilization.