Turpentine

Scientific Name(s): Pinus palustris Mill., Pinus
Common Name(s): Gum thus, Gum turpentine, Turpentine, Turpentine balsam, Turpentine oil

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Oct 22, 2021.

Clinical Overview

Use

Turpentine has been reported to be useful for its antiparasitic effects, particularly in the treatment of myiasis. Turpentine has been used experimentally in baths for treatment of disseminated sclerosis and sexual dysfunction; however, data are limited and safety and efficacy have not been established.

Dosing

Not applicable.

Contraindications

Refer to Adverse Reactions and Toxicology sections.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Avoid use.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

Contact allergies, hypersensitivity reactions, and benign skin tumors may occur when exposed to turpentine. Additionally, the resin has an irritant potential.

Toxicology

If ingested, turpentine is highly toxic, with fatal poisonings reported in children who have ingested as little as 15 mL. The average fatal oral dose is 15 to 150 mL. Toxic effects may include oral burning and pain, thirst, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, insomnia, dizziness, hematuria, urine odor similar to violets, difficulty urinating, albuminuria, hypotension, bradycardia, prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), coma, and death.

Scientific Family

• Pinaceae

Source

The term "turpentine" is used imprecisely to describe the oleoresin obtained from the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.), slash pine (P. elliottii Engelm.), and other Pinus spp. that yield exclusively terpene oils, or to describe the essential oil obtained from oleoresin.Leung 1980 At least 6 additional Pinus spp. have been used in the production of turpentine.Trease 1989 The oleoresin is referred to as "gum turpentine," while the terms “turpentine” and "turpentine oil" (also known as "spirits of turpentine") refer to the essential oil.

Following steam distillation, gum turpentine yields turpentine oil and colophony resin (also known as "rosin"). Alternatively, rosin is collected by scarring the tree trunk, and then various grades of material are refined.Leung 1980, Trease 1989 Turpentine and rosin are also obtained by steam distillation of heartwood chips of pine stumps, which are byproducts of the lumber and paper industries; these sources currently account for the bulk of turpentine and rosin production in the United States.Leung 1980

In terms of volume, turpentine is the largest essential oil product in the world, with the bulk of production occurring in the United States. Because collection of oleoresin is very labor intensive, output in the United States has declined considerably. Other principal world producers are Portugal and China, and other contributors include Spain, Greece, India, and Morocco. Trease 1989

History

The primary use of turpentine has been as a solvent in paints. During the last century, it became an important starting material for the commercial synthesis of many widely used compounds, including camphor and menthol. Various products derived from turpentine have been used in chewing gums. Steam-distilled turpentine oil has been used as a food and beverage flavoring in very small quantities (typically about 20 ppm). The oil has a strong, bitter taste and is colorless.Guzel 2015 Turpentine and its related products have a long history of medicinal use, primarily as topical counterirritants for the treatment of rheumatic disorders and muscl...