Information AboutMusk |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT MUSK | |
| animal glandular products | |
| perfumery | |
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]] Musk is the name originally given to a substance with a penetrating Odor obtained from a Gland of the male Musk Deer , which is situated between its stomach and genitals. The substance has been used as a popular Perfume Fixative since Ancient Times and is one of the most expensive Animal Products in the world.1 The name, originated from Sanskrit ''muṣká'' meaning "testicle",2 Via Middle Persian ''mušk'', Late Greek ''μόσχος'' (''moschos''), Late Latin ''muscus'' and Middle English ''muske''.3 has come to encompass a wide variety of substances with somewhat similar odors although many of them are quite different in their Chemical Structure s. They include glandular secretions from animals other than the musk deer, numerous plants emitting similar fragrances, and artificial substances with similar odors. Until the late 19th century the fragrance was only obtained from natural sources. Now synthesized compounds are used almost exclusively.4 The Organic Compound primarily responsible for the characteristic odor of musk is Muscone . NATURAL SOURCES Musk deer The musk deer belongs to the family '' Moschidae '' and lives in India, Tibet, China, Siberia and Mongolia. To obtain the musk, the animal is killed and the gland, also called musk pod, removed and dried, either in the sun, on a hot stone, or by immersion in hot oil. Upon drying, the reddish-brown paste turns into a black, granular material called '''musk grain''', and is used for alcoholic solutions. The aroma of the tincture becomes more intense during storage and gives a pleasant odor only after it is considerably Diluted . No other natural substance has such a complex aroma associated with so many contradictory descriptions; however, it is usually described abstractly as animalic, earthy and woody or something akin to the odour of baby's skin. Good musk is of a dark purplish color, dry, smooth and unctuous to the touch, and bitter in taste. It dissolves in boiling water to the extent of about one-half; alcohol takes up one-third of the substance, and ether and chloroform dissolve still less. The grain of musk will distinctly scent millions of Cubic Feet of air without any appreciable loss of weight, and its scent is not only more penetrating but more persistent than that of any other known substance. In addition to its odoriferous principle, it contains Ammonia , Cholesterol , fatty matter, a bitter resinous substance, and other animal principles. As a material in perfumery it is of the first importance, its powerful and enduring odor giving strength and permanency to the vegetable essences, so that it is an ingredient in many compounded perfumes. The best quality is Tonkin musk from Tibet and China , followed by Assam and Nepal musk, while Carbadine musk from Russian and Chinese Himalayan regions are considered inferior. Obtaining one kilogram (2.2 lbs) of musk grains requires between thirty and fifty deers, making musk tinctures highly expensive. At the beginning of the 19th century, Tonkin musk grains cost about twice their weight in Gold . Despite the high price, musk tinctures were used in perfumery until 1979, when musk deers were protected as an endangered species by the Convention On The International Trade In Endangered Species Of Wild Flora And Fauna (CITES). Today the trade quantity of the natural musk is controlled by CITES but illegal Poaching and trading continues.5 An illegal shipment of 700 kilograms (1,540 lbs) of Chinese musk from the musk deer was seized in Japan in 1987, an amount corresponding to approximately 100,000 deers killed.6 Other animals Glandular substances with musk-like odor are also obtained from the Muskrat of North America , the Musk Duck (''Biziura lobata'') of southern Australia , the Musk Shrew , the Musk Beetle (''Calichroma moschata''), the Musk Turtle , the Alligator of Central America , and from several other animals. In crocodiles, there are two pairs of musk glands, one pair situated at the corner of the jaw and the other pair in the Cloaca .7 Musk glands are also found in snakes. Plants Some plants such as '' Angelica Archangelica '' or '' Abelmoschus Moschatus '' produce musky smelling macrocyclic lactone compounds. These compounds are widely used in perfumery as substitutes for natural musk or to alter the smell of a mixture of other musks. PLANT SOURCES The plant sources include Musk Flower ( ''Mimulus Moschatus'' ), the Muskwood ('' Olearia Argophylla '') of the Guianas and West Indies , and in the seeds of '' Abelmoschus Moschatus '' ( Musk Seed s). However, the plant Mimulus is today largely scentless, all specimens having almost simultaneously lost their distinctive odor for no apparent reason in the mid-twentieth century. ARTIFICIAL COMPOUNDS , the organic compound responsible for the characteristic odor of musk]] Since obtaining the deer musk requires killing the Endangered Animal , nearly all musk fragrance used in perfumery today is synthetic. They can be divided into three major classes — aromatic nitro musks, polycyclic musk compounds, and macrocyclic musk compounds. The first two groups have broad uses in industry ranging from Cosmetics to Detergent s. However, the detection of the first two chemical groups in human and environmental samples as well as their carcinogenic properties initiated a public debate on the use of these compounds and a ban or reduction of their use in many regions of the world. As an alternative, macrocyclic musk compounds are expected to replace them since these compounds appear to be safer. Nitro-musks An artificial musk was obtained by Baur in 1888 by condensing Toluene with Isobutyl Bromide in the presence of Aluminium Chloride , and nitrating the product. It was discovered accidentally as a result of Baur's attempts at producing a more effective form of Trinitrotoluene . It appears that the odour depends upon the symmetry of the three nitro groups. Following the discovery of ''Musk Baur'', the first nitro-musk, many similar preparations have been made. Notable nitro-musks include
Polycyclic musks An artificial musk that contains more than one ring in its molecular structure. These musks became popular after World War II and slowly supplanted the nitro-musks in popularity due to the latter's toxicity and molecular instability. However it was discover in the 1990's that polycyclic musks are also potentially harmful in that they can disrupt cellular metabolism and may potentially be mutagenic. Many of these musks were used in large quantities to scent laundry detergents. Commonly used polycyclic musks include
Macrocyclic musks A class of artificial musk consisting of a single ring composed of more than 6 carbons (often 10-15). Of all artificial musks, these most resemble the primary odoriferous compound from Tonkin musk in its "large ringed" structure. While the macrocyclic musks extracted from plants consists of large ringed Lactone s, all animal derived macrocyclic musks are Ketone s. Macrocyclic ketone musks were not widely produced until the late 1990's due to difficulties in their synthesis. Common polycyclic musks include
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