Description
p-Methoxybenzaldehyde has a characteristic hawthorne odor and
a pungent, anise-like flavor. It has a bitter flavor above 30 - 40 ppm.
May be prepared by methylation and oxidation of p-cresol and
also by oxidation of anethole.
Occurrence
Reported found in essential oils and extracts of vanilla, Acacia farmesiana Willd., Magnoila salicifolia
Maxim., Erica arborea, Pirus communis, Boswellia serrata, and others; also in anise, fennel and star anise (especially when aged
due to the oxidation of anethole), cranberry, black currant, cinnamon and basil.
Definition
ChEBI: P-methoxybenzaldehyde is a member of the class of benzaldehydes consisting of benzaldehyde itself carrying a methoxy substituent at position 4. It has a role as an insect repellent, a human urinary metabolite, a plant metabolite and a bacterial metabolite.
Preparation
By methylation and oxidation of p-cresol and also by oxidation of anethole.
Aroma threshold values
Aroma characteristics at 1.0%: sweet powdery, spicy creamy, fruity, vanilla and hay-like. Coumarin,
almond, anisic with berry nuances.
Taste threshold values
Taste characteristics at 5 to 10 ppm: sweet powdery, vanilla creamy, spice anise, nutty, cherry pit and
almond-like nuances.
General Description
p-anisaldehyde is an aromatic aldehyde commonly found in anise seed oil. It shows acaricidal activity and is primarily used, as a lead compound for the development of new agents for the selective control of house dust mites.
Flammability and Explosibility
Nonflammable
Biochem/physiol Actions
Taste at 5-10 ppm
Metabolism
Anisic aldehyde undergoes a very slight degree of demethylation with oxidation of its aldehyde group to an acid group, the major metabolite excreted being anisic
acid (Williams, 1959).
Purification Methods
Wash the aldehyde with saturated aqueous NaHCO3, then H2O, steam distil, extract the distillate with Et2O, dry (MgSO4) the extract, filter and distil this under a vacuum and N2. Store it in glass ampules under N2 in the dark. [Beilstein 8 IV 252.]