Chemical Properties
2-Hexenal has a sweet, fragrant, almond, fruity green, leafy, apple, plum, vegetable odor.
Occurrence
Reported found in the distillation waters of several plants, such as Carpinus betulus; also identified among the
constituents of tea (leaves) oil and in citronella. Also reported found in numerous foods including apple juice, apricot, banana, citrus
peel oils and juices, blueberry, strawberry, guava, peach, pear, melon, cabbage, kohlrabi, cucumber, lettuce, leek, peas, tomato, thymus, butter, milk, fish, fish oil, meats, hop oil, beer, grape wines, peanut oil, pecans, potato chips, soybeans, avocado, olive, passion
fruit, plum, Malay apple, star fruit, mango, cauliflower, fig, artichoke, coriander leaf, rice, radish, lovage leaf, laurel, loquat, endive,
nectarines, clam, quince and tobacco.
Toxicity evaluation
The acute oral LD
50 value in rats was reported as 0.85 g/kg (0.65-1.05 g/kg) (Moreno, 1973). The oral LD
50 values for trans-2-hexenal were reported as 780-1130 and 1550-1750 mg/kg in rats and mice, respectively, and the ip LD
50 values were reported as 100-200 mg/kg in both species (Gaunt, Colley, Wright, Creasey, Grasso & Gangolli, 1971). The acute dermal LD
50 value in rabbits was reported as 0.60 g/kg (0.37-0.83 g/kg) (Moreno, 1973).
