(±)-Muscone is an odoriferous constituent of musk, a glandular secretion originally collected from the male musk deer, that has found use both in the composition of perfumes and in traditional Chinese medicine practices. (±)-Muscone has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects by reducing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines both in vitro and in vivo. In a model of vertebral end-plate degeneration, 25 μM (±)-muscone was shown to reverse IL-1β-induced upregulation of IL-1β, TNF-α, cyclooxygenase 2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, matrix metalloproteinase 13, aggrecanase 2, and nitric oxide. It has also been reported to be both cardioprotective and neuroprotective during conditions of ischemia and to promote proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells.
