Methyl salicylate
You don't need to be Editor-In-Chief to add or edit content to WikiDoc. You can begin to add to or edit text on this WikiDoc page by clicking on the edit button at the top of this page. Next enter or edit the information that you would like to appear here. Once you are done editing, scroll down and click the Save page button at the bottom of the page.
| Methyl salicylate | |
|---|---|
| |
| Image:Methyl-salicylate-3D-vdW.png | |
| IUPAC name | Methyl salicylate |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | |
| SMILES | c1(O)ccccc1C(=O)OC |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C8H8O3 |
| Molar mass | 152.1494 g/mol |
| Density | 1.174 g/cm³ |
| Melting point |
-9 °C |
| Boiling point |
220 - 224 °C |
| Hazards | |
| Flash point | 101 °C |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references | |
Methyl salicylate (chemical formula C6H4(HO)COOCH3; also known as salicylic acid methyl ester, oil of wintergreen, betula oil, methyl-2-hydroxybenzoate) is a natural product of many species of plants. Some of the plants producing it are called wintergreens, hence the common name.
Botanical background
Plants containing methyl salicylate produce this organic ester (a combination of an organic acid with an alcohol) most likely as an anti-herbivore defense. Aside from its toxicity, methyl salicylate may be used by plants as a pheromone to warn other plants of pathogens such as tobacco mosaic virus.[1] If the plant is infested with herbivorous insects, the release of methyl salicylate may function as an aid in the recruitment of beneficial insects to kill the herbivorous insects.[1] Numerous plants produce methyl salicylate in very small amounts.
Plants producing it in significant amounts (readily detected by scent) include:
- Most species of the family Pyrolaceae, particularly those in the genus Pyrola.
- Some species of the genus Gaultheria in the family Ericaceae.
- Some species of the genus Betula in the family Betulaceae, particularly those in the subgenus Betulenta.
Commercial production
Methyl salicylate can be produced by esterifiying salicylic acid with methanol. Commercial methyl salicylate is now synthesized, but in the past, it was commonly distilled from the twigs of Sweet Birch (Betula lenta) and Eastern Teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens).
Uses
It is used as a rubefacient in deep heating liniments, and in small amounts as a flavoring agent at no more than 0.04%.[1] It is also used to provide fragrance to various products. It is also used as an odor masking agent for some organophosphate pesticides. If applied in too high quantities it can cause stomach and kidney problems.[citation needed]
It is one of many compounds that is attractive to males of various species of orchid bees, who apparently gather the chemical to synthesize pheromones; it is commonly used as bait to attract and collect these bees for study.[1]
Methyl salicylate also has the ability to clear plant or animal tissue samples of color, and as such is useful for microscopy and immunohistochemistry when excess pigments obscure structures or block light in the tissue being examined. This clearing generally only takes a few minutes, but the tissue must first be dehydrated in alcohol.[citation needed]
Methyl salicylate can also be used as a transfer agent, to produce a manual copy of an image on a surface.[1]
Safety
In pure form, methyl salicylate is toxic, especially when taken internally. The lowest published lethal dose is 101 mg/kg body weight in adult humans.[1] It has proven fatal to small children in doses as small as 4 mL.[1] A 17 year-old cross-country runner at Notre Dame Academy on Staten Island, died April 3, 2007, after her body absorbed high levels of methyl salicylate through excessive use of topical muscle-pain relief products.[1]
See also
References
External links
- Toxicity
- MedlinePlus - Methyl salicylate overdose
- MedlinePlus - Sports cream overdose
- CNN - Medical examiner: Sports cream caused teen's death
- NLM Hazardous Substances Databank – Methyl salicylatede:Methylsalicylat
fr:Salicylate de méthyle ja:サリチル酸メチル th:เมตทิลซาลิไซเลต
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
