The Features of Menthol Powder

Menthol

Menthol is an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or other mint oils. It is a waxy, crystalline substance, clear or white in color, which is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above. Menthol has local anesthetic and counterirritant qualities, and it is widely used to relieve minor throat irritation.

There is evidence that menthol has been known in Japan for more than 2000 years, but in the West it was not isolated until 1771, by Hieronymous David Gaubius.

Fresh and exhilarating, the minty taste of menthol is one that is not only delicious, but multifaceted, too. Great for dry or powdered food and beverage mixes, and essentially for personal care and dental products as well, there’s simply no shortage of what can be created with Menthol Flavor Powder as produced by Manufacturer of Menthol Crystals in England. Our Menthol Flavor Powder is vegan, kosher, and gluten-free.

            Menthol is a naturally occurring plant compound that is used in multiple industries and products, including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and flavoring agents. Topical preparations that contain menthol are used for their antipruritic, analgesic, and cooling properties. Menthol is thought to act through the cation channel TRPM8, a member of the TRP (transient receptor potential) family of ion channels, which is also activated by cold. However, the precise mechanism by which menthol suppresses pruritus is unclear. In addition to affecting sensory pathways, menthol exhibits antibacterial and antifungal activity²¹.

Chemical Properties

Menthol reacts in many ways like a normal secondary alcohol. It is oxidised to menthone by oxidising agents such as chromic acid, though under some conditions the oxidation can go further and break open the ring. Menthol is easily dehydrated to give mainly 3-menthene, by the action of 2% sulfuric acid . PCl₅ gives menthyl chloride.

 

Biological Properties

Menthol's ability to chemically trigger cold-sensitive receptors in the skin is responsible for the well known cooling sensation that it provokes when inhalated, eaten, or applied to the skin. It should be noted that Menthol does not cause an actual drop in temperature. . In this sense it is similar to capsaicin, the chemical responsible for the spiciness of hot peppers (which stimulates heat sensors, also without causing actual temperature rise).

Menthol Powder: Features

 

Quality	Values
CAS Number	89-78-1
Product Name	Menthol Powder , B.P./U.S.P.
Synonym	(1α,2β,5α)-5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexanol
Description	Colourless, heptagonal huge amazingly, color enjoyable attribute
Standard	GB3862-2006, FFC VI,CP 2010, BP2012, EP6.0 and USP 31
Apperance	Semi- liquid fused mass
Solubility	Highly soluble in alcohol
Taste	Minty Flavour
Odor	Minty-refreshing and diffusive odor
Melting Point	38◦C
Specific Optical Rotation	-46.01◦ (at 25◦C)
Specific Gravity	(25◦C) 0.885~0.899
Heavy Metal	≤10 PPM
Arsenic	≤3PPM
L-Menthol	+96%
Total Menthol	+97%
Non –Volatile Residue	0.02%
Relative substances	Negligible
Non Unpredictable Matters	0.040%
Moisture	0.2%

 

Biological Properties

Menthol's ability to chemically trigger cold-sensitive receptors in the skin is responsible for the well known cooling sensation that it provokes when inhalated, eaten, or applied to the skin. It should be noted that Menthol does not cause an actual drop in temperature. . In this sense it is similar to capsaicin, the chemical responsible for the spiciness of hot peppers (which stimulates heat sensors, also without causing actual temperature rise).

                                        

Applications

Menthol is included in many products for a variety of reasons. These include:

§  In non-prescription products for short-term relief of minor sore throat and minor mouth or throat irritation

§  Examples: lip balms and cough medicines

§  As an antipruritic to reduce itching

§  As a topical analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains such as muscle cramps, sprains, headaches and similar conditions, alone or combined with products like Camphor or Capsicum. In Europe it tends to appear as a gel or a cream, while in the US patches and body sleeves are very frequently used

§  Examples: Tiger Balm IcyHot patches or knee/elbow sleeves

§  In decongestants for chest and sinuses (cream, patch or nose inhaler)

§  Examples: Vicks Vaporub

§  In certain medications used to treat sunburns, as it provides a cooling sensation (then often associated with Aloe)

§  As an additive in certain cigarette brands, for flavor, to reduce the throat and sinus irritation caused by smoking and arguably to reduce the bad-breath smokers experience and possibly improve the smell of second-hand smoke.

§  Commonly used in oral hygiene products and bad-breath remedies like mouthwash, toothpaste, mouth and tongue-spray, and more generally as a food flavor agent e.g. in chewing-gum, candy

§  In a soda as well as in a syrup to be mixed with water to obtain a very low alcohol drink or (brand Rickles in France). The syrup is/was also used to alleviate nausea, in particular motion sickness, by pouring a few drops on a lump of sugar.

§  As a pesticide against tracheal mites of honeybees

§  In perfumery, menthol is used to prepare menthyl esters to emphasise floral notes (especially rose)

§  In first aid products such as "mineral ice" to produce a cooling effect as a substitute for real ice in the absence of water or electricity (Pouch, Body patch/sleeve or cream)

§  In various patches ranging from fever-reducing patches applied to children's foreheads to "foot patches" to relieve numerous ailments (the latter being much more frequent and elaborate in Asia, esp. Japan: some variety use `functional protrusion' i.e. small bumps to massage ones feet as well as soothing them and cooling them down)

§  In some beauty products such as hair-conditioners, based on natural ingredients (ex: St Ives)

Some supporters of the homeopathic theory of pharmacology believe that menthol interferes with the effects of homeopathic remedies. Its use is strongly discouraged for those seeking homeopathic cures, to the point of prohibiting the use of mint-flavored toothpaste. Currently no other reported nutrient or herb interactions involve menthol. Menthol is available as a dietary supplement or natural medicine in the form of peppermint oil. It is used in Eastern medicine to treat indigestion, nausea, sore throat, diarrhoea, colds, and headaches. (-)-Menthol has low toxicity: Oral (rat) LD50: 3300 mg/kg; Skin (rabbit) LD50: 15800 mg/kg).

In organic chemistry, menthol is used as a chiral auxiliary in asymmetric synthesis. For example, sulfinate esters made from sulfinyl chlorides and menthol can be used to make enantiomerically pure sulfoxides by reaction with organolithium reagents or Grignard reagents. Menthol is also used for classical resolution of chiral carboxylic acids, via the menthyl esters.