This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Citral is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
| Citral | |
|---|---|
 |
|
 |
|
| IUPAC name | 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal |
| Other names | citral geranial neral geranialdehyde |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | [5392-40-5] |
| RTECS number | RG5075000 |
| SMILES |
|
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C10H16O |
| Molar mass | 152.24 g/mol |
| Appearance | Pale yellow liquid |
| Odor | Lemon like |
| Density | 0.893 g/cm³, liquid |
| Boiling point |
229 °C |
| Hazards | |
| NFPA 704 |
 1
0
0
|
| R-phrases | R36, R37, R38 |
| Flash point | 91 °C |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox references |
|
Citral, or 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal or lemonal, is either of a pair of terpenoids with the molecular formula C10H16O. The two compounds are double bond isomers. The E-isomer is known as geranial or citral A. The Z-isomer is known as neral or citral B.
Geranial has a strong lemon odor. Neral has a lemon odor that is less intense, but sweeter. Citral is therefore an aroma compound used in perfumery for its citrus effect. Citral is also used as a flavor and for fortifying lemon oil. It also has strong anti-microbial qualities[1], and pheromonal effects in insects.[2][3]
Citral is used in the synthesis of vitamin A, ionone, and methylionone, and to mask the smell of smoke.
Citral is present in the oils of several plants, including lemon myrtle (90-98%), Listsea citrata (90%), Litsea cubeba (70-85%), lemongrass (65-85%), lemon tea-tree (70-80%), Ocimum gratissimum (66.5%), Lindera citriodora (approx. 65%), Calypranthes parriculata (approx. 62%), petitgrain (36%), Lemon verbena (30-35%), Lemon ironbark (26%), lemon balm (11%), lime (6-9%), lemon (2-5%), and orange.[4] [5] [6]
Contents |
Health & Safety information
Citral should be avoided by people with perfume allergy[7].
See also
References
Footnotes
- ^ Onawunmi, G.O. (1989) Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of citral. Lett. Appl. Microbial. 9, 105-108.
- ^ Kuwahara, Y., Suzuki, H., Matsumoto, K. & Wada, Y. (1983) Pheromone study on acarid mites. XI. Function of mite body as geometrical isomerization and reduction of citral (the alarm pheromone) Carpoglyphus lactis. Appl. Entomol. Zool. 18, 30-39.
- ^ Robacker, D.C. & Hendry, L.B. (1977) Neral and geranial: components of the sex pheromone of the parasitic wasp, Itoplectis conquisitor, J. Chem. Ecol. 3, 563-577.
- ^ Fenaroli, G., Furia, T.E., Bellanca, N., Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, ISBN 0878195327
- ^ Lawless, J., The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, ISBN 1-85230-661-0
- ^ The Aromatic Plant Project [1]
- ^ Survey and health assessment of chemical substances in massage oils
General references
- MSDS [2]
External links
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 7 October 2008, at 22:48.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Citral".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.