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What Is A Terpene Profile and Why Is It Important?

A terpene profile is the unique combination of terpene isolates produced by a plant. Learn why terpene profiles are important in nature and for your products.

Terpenes are organic hydrocarbons produced by most plants. From lemons and thyme to pine trees and hops, terpenes are all over the place! They’re the building blocks of scent, flavor, and they even determine some of the effects that plants promote. So…what exactly is a terpene profile?

If you’re in the cannabis industry, you’ve no doubt heard people mention the terpene profiles of various chemovars. In reality, ALL plants have unique terpene profiles. But why?

Why do plants develop such unique scents? Why should you care about authentic terpene profiles when it comes to your product formulations? Read on to learn all that and more.

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Terpene Profiles

What is a Terpene Profile?

In the past, essential oils were considered the purest form of any aroma. Today, however, we can break those down even further and examine the individual terpene isolates that make up that oil. So, when someone talks about the terpene profile of a particular strain of basil, for example, they’re referring to the different isolates that make up its unique aroma and flavor.

Terpene profiles are made up of many different isolates but are usually dominant in just a handful. However, just because several plants have the same dominant terpenes, that doesn’t mean they’ll smell the same. The ratio of these terpene isolates is what ends up creating the overall aroma, flavor, and effects.

If you look at the terpene charts depicted above and below, you’ll notice they’re both dominant in isolates Limonene, Beta-Caryophyllene, and Myrcene. However, the strains Clementine and Coma have very distinct aromas, flavors, and effects. Yes, they have different cannabinoid profiles, but it’s more than that. Their dominant isolates are in different ratios and the lesser dominant isolates are completely different as well.

Why Do Terpene Profiles Matter In Nature?

Plants don’t produce terpenes just to smell good to us. Plants produce different terpene profiles to accomplish specific evolutionary functions. Here are just a few examples.

While some plants use vibrant colors to attract pollinators, some of them actually rely on terpenes to lure in specific pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Some plants produce specific terpene profiles to repel predators like insects and herbivores.
Some produce terpenes to attract insects or herbivores that will destroy other harmful predators
Some terpenes protect plants from sun damage by protecting them from harmful UV rays, absorbing UV rays, or even by acting as antioxidants.
When some plants detect pathogens, their immune systems release various compounds (including terpenes) that help destroy the pathogens and alert nearby plants about the danger as well.

Essentially, plants use terpenes as survival tools. It’s also important to remember that terpenes are volatile. Even if you have two identical plant seeds, they can end up expressing different terpenes depending on soil quality, weather, farming techniques, and more.

Why Do Terpene Profiles Matter For Your Products?

If you’re trying to infuse your products with the aroma, flavor, and/or effects from botanical sources, paying attention to their terpene profiles is a very big deal. That is if you value authenticity, consistency, and potency.

Consistency should be a no brainer when it comes to your products. Brand loyalty only happens when a consumer is confident that a product will have the same scent, flavor, and effects every time they make a purchase. And when it comes to the terpenes naturally found in plant matter, that’s tricky.

On top of the natural difficulty that comes with sourcing plant matter with a consistent terpene profile, terpenes can also be easily damaged or lost during the manufacturing process. That affects not only consistency, but the final aroma, flavor, and potency.

Plus, if you tell a consumer your product tastes like authentic Durban Poison, they’re going to be very disappointed if it doesn’t. But it’s more than that. They’ll want the Durban Poison effects as well! That only happens when all of the terpene isolates in the profile make it through to the finished product.

In the end, relying on the terpene profiles of plant matter alone can be extremely costly and time consuming. That’s why it’s simply more practical to infuse products with terpenes that have been extracted and curated by terpene experts. That way they consistently maintain all the scent, flavor, and effects consumers know and love.

Abstrax Tech Terpene Profiles

As leaders in the research, development, and production of botanically-derived and cannabis-inspired terpenes, we create unforgettable sensorial experiences. That means we meticulously source the plant matter we use to extract our terpenes.

Sometimes we source locally, other times we source plant matter from across the globe. It’s all about finding the best, high-quality plants. We also use state-of-the-art technology to ensure our terpene profiles are authentic.