Civetone is a macrocyclic ketone and the main odorous constituent of civet oil.[1] It is a pheromone sourced from the African civet. It has a strong musky odor that becomes pleasant at extreme dilutions.[2] Civetone is closely related to muscone, the principal odoriferous compound found in musk; the structure of both compounds was elucidated by Leopold Ružička.[3] Today, civetone can be synthesized from precursor chemicals found in palm oil.[4]
Uses
Civetone is a synthetic musk used as a perfume fixative and flavor.
In order to attract jaguars to camera traps, field biologists have used the Calvin Klein-brand male cologne Obsession. It is believed that the civetone in the cologne resembles a territorial marking.[5]
See also
- 5-Cyclohexadecenone, a related musk chemical
References
- ^ The Merck Index, 15th Ed. (2013), p. 418, Monograph 2334, O'Neil: The Royal Society of Chemistry. Available online at: http://www.rsc.org/Merck-Index/monograph/mono1500002334
- ^ Bedoukian, Paul Z. "Perfumery and Flavoring Synthetics", 2nd ed., p. 248, Elsevier, New York, 1967.
- ^ Sell, Charles S. (1999). "Ingredients for the Modern Perfumery Industry". In Pybus, David H.; Sell, Charles S. (eds.). The Chemistry of Fragrances (1st ed.). Royal Society of Chemistry Publishing. pp. 51–124. ISBN 9780854045280.
- ^ Yuen-May Choo, Kay-Eng Ooi and Ing-Hong Ooi (August 1994). "Synthesis of civetone from palm oil products". Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 71 (8). Springer Berlin / Heidelberg: 911–913. doi:10.1007/bf02540473. ISSN 0003-021X. S2CID 85189919.
- ^ "You'll Never Guess How Biologists Lure Jaguars To Camera Traps". Scientific American Blog Network.
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