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by | Mar 21, 2018 | Hot Peppers

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4-Anisaldehyde, or p-Anisaldehyde, is an organic compound with the formula CH3OC6H4CHO. The molecule consists of a benzene ring with a formyl and a methoxy group. It is a colorless liquid with a strong aroma. It provides sweet, floral and strong aniseed odor. Two isomers of 4-anisaldehyde are known, ortho-anisaldehyde and meta-anisaldehyde. They are less commonly encountered.

Production

Anisaldehyde is prepared commercially by oxidation of 4-methoxytoluene (p-cresyl methyl ether) using manganese dioxide to convert a methyl group to the aldehyde group. It can also be produced by oxidation of anethole, a related fragrance that is found in some alcoholic beverages, by oxidative cleavage of an alkene.[3]

Uses

Being structurally related to vanillin, 4-anisaldehyde is a widely used in the fragrance and flavor industry.[3] It is used as an intermediate in the synthesis of other compounds important in pharmaceuticals and perfumery. The related ortho isomer has a scent of licorice.

A solution of para-anisaldehyde in acid and ethanol is a useful stain in thin layer chromatography.[4] Different chemical compounds on the plate can give different colors, allowing easy distinction.

DNA breakage

Anisaldehyde in combination with copper (II) can induce single- and double-strand breaks in double stranded DNA.[5]

References

  1. ^ Budavari, Susan, ed. (1994). The Merck index: an encyclopedia of chemicals, drugs, and biologicals (11. ed., 4. print ed.). Rahway, NJ: Merck. p. 693. ISBN 978-0-911910-28-5.
  2. ^ a b c "p-Anisaldehyde". Sigma-Aldrich.
  3. ^ a b Karl-Georg Fahlbusch; Franz-Josef Hammerschmidt; Johannes Panten; Wilhelm Pickenhagen; Dietmar Schatkowski; Kurt Bauer; Dorothea Garbe; Horst Surburg (2003). "Flavors and Fragrances". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a11_141. ISBN 978-3527306732.
  4. ^ Stains for Developing TLC Plates
  5. ^ Becker, T. W.; Krieger, G.; Witte, I. (1996). "DNA Single and Double Strand Breaks Induced by Aliphatic and Aromatic Aldehydes in Combination with Copper(II)". Free Radical Research. 24 (5): 325–332. doi:10.3109/10715769609088030. PMID 8733936.
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