Menthol
Derived from peppermint oil. It is used for its counter-irritant and soothing properties. No more than 1% should be compounded into a product as it can be irritating to the mucous membranes. When properly used, however, it is an excellent herbal extract.
Menthol is an organic compound, more specifically a monoterpenoid, made synthetically or obtained from the oils of corn mint, peppermint, or other mints. It is a waxy, clear or white crystalline substance, which is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above.
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| Names | |||
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| Preferred IUPAC name
5-Methyl-2-(propan-2-yl)cyclohexan-1-ol | |||
| Other names
2-Isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexan-1-ol
2-Isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexanol 3-p-Menthanol Hexahydrothymol Menthomenthol Peppermint camphor | |||
| Identifiers | |||
3D model (JSmol)
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| ChEMBL | |||
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| DrugBank | |||
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.016.992 | ||
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| KEGG | |||
PubChem CID
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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| Properties | |||
| C10H20O | |||
| Molar mass | 156.269 g·mol−1 | ||
| Appearance | White or colorless crystalline solid | ||
| Density | 0.890 g·cm−3, solid (racemic or (−)-isomer) | ||
| Melting point | 36–38 °C (97–100 °F; 309–311 K) racemic 42–45 °C, (−)-isomer, α crystalline form | ||
| Boiling point | 214.6 °C (418.3 °F; 487.8 K) | ||
| Slightly soluble, (−)-isomer | |||
| Hazards | |||
| Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH): | |||
Main hazards
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Irritant, flammable | ||
| GHS labelling: | |||
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| Warning | |||
| H315, H319 | |||
| P264, P280, P302+P352, P305+P351+P338, P332+P313, P337+P313, P362 | |||
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |||
| Flash point | 93 °C (199 °F; 366 K) | ||
| Safety data sheet (SDS) | External MSDS | ||
| Related compounds | |||
Related alcohols
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Cyclohexanol, Pulegol, Dihydrocarveol, Piperitol | ||
Related compounds
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Menthone, Menthene, Thymol, p-Cymene, Citronellal | ||
| Supplementary data page | |||
| Menthol (data page) | |||
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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The main form of menthol occurring in nature is (−)-menthol, which is assigned the (1R,2S,5R) configuration. Menthol has local anesthetic and counterirritant qualities, and it is widely used to relieve minor throat irritation. Menthol also acts as a weak κ-opioid receptor agonist.
