le, Castoreum- Chemische Eigenschaften,Einsatz,Produktion Methoden
Chemische Eigenschaften
Castoreumis an unpleasantly sharp-smelling, oily substance secreted by special
glands of beavers, Castor fiber L. (Castoridae), living in Canada, Alaska,
and Siberia. Both sexes secrete the substance, which accumulates in an
abdominal pouch, also called castoreum. Dilute castoreum (e.g., as a tincture
in ethanol) smells pleasantly of birch tar and musk and is slightly fruity.
Castoreum is a by-product of the fur industry. The beaver pouches are
dried in the air or over a wood fire, the color of their contents then changes
fromyellow to dark brown, and the consistency froma butter-like to resinous
character.
In addition to alcoholic tinctures, castoreum is available in the form of
resinoids, which are prepared by extracting dried, comminuted poucheswith
suitable solvents.
The intense, leathery odor of castoreum obtained from Siberian beavers
is caused largely by phenolic compounds (e.g., 4-alkylphenols and catechol
derivatives), which the beavers take in with their food and
excrete into their abdominal pouches. Castoreum was used mainly in fine
fragrances for its characteristic, long-lasting odor, particularly for delicate
leather nuances.
Physikalische Eigenschaften
Castoreum when fresh is yellow and of the consistency of syrup; when dry it is dark red or
brown and of the consistency of hard wax.
Essential oil composition
A resinous and crystalline material (1 to 2%) has been identified in castoreum, together with a butter-like
portion containing albumins, fats, urates, salts and probably cholesterols. Castoreum contains castorin (0.33 to 2.5%), volatile oil (1 to
2%), benzoic acid, salicylic acid, cinnamic acid, phenols, chavicol, betuligenol, ketone, ionone derivative, castoramines, quinolizine
alkaloids (CoE, 2000).
le, Castoreum- Upstream-Materialien And Downstream Produkte
Upstream-Materialien
Downstream Produkte
