Methyl salicylate

Detailed Product Description

 

Product name: Methyl salicylate

Other names: Salicylic acid methyl ester; Oil of wintergreen; Betula oil; Methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate

DescriptionManufacturer: Pioneer Herb Industrial Co., Ltd

Molecular formula: C₈H₈O₃

Melting point: -9 °C, 264 K, 16 °F

Boiling point: 220 - 224 °C

 

Introduction

Methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen) is a natural product of many species of . Some of the plants producing it are called , hence the common name.

Methyl salicylate can be produced by with . Commercial methyl salicylate is now synthesized, but in the past, it was commonly distilled from the twigs of (Betula lenta) and (Gaultheria procumbens).

 

Main functions

1. It is used as a in deep heating , and in small amounts as a agent at no more than 0.04%. It is also used to provide to various products and as an odor masking agent for some . If applied in too high quantities it can cause stomach and kidney problems.

2. It is one of many compounds that is attractive to males of various species of , who apparently gather the chemical to synthesize pheromones; it is commonly used as bait to attract and collect these bees for study.

3. 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.

4. Methyl salicylate, though its source plants are not true , is also used as a mint in some kinds of and , as an alternative to the more common and oils. It can also be found as a flavoring of . It is also a potentially entertaining source of ; when mixed with sugar and dried, it gains the tendency to build up electrical charge when ground. This effect can be observed by crushing wintergreen candy in a dark room.

5. Methyl salicylate can also be used as a transfer agent, to produce a manual copy of an image on a surface.

6. Methyl salicylate is added in small amounts to to lower its freezing point while travelling in cold countries.

7. Methyl salicylate is also used as a simulant or surrogate for the research and investigation of the chemical warfare agent, due to its similar chemical and physical properties.

 

Safety and medicinal use

In pure form, methyl salicylate is toxic, especially when taken internally. A single teaspoon of methyl salicylate contains 7g of salicylate, which is equivalent to more than twenty-three 300 mg aspirin tablets. The lowest published lethal dose is 101 mg/kg body weight in adult humans. It has proven fatal to small children in doses as small as 4 mL.