AMBERGRISTINCTURE Property

Melting point:

350-375°

Density 

1.05 to 1.10

refractive index 

nD 1.539-1.545

Safety

Toxicity

Both the acute oral LD₅₀ value in rats and the acute dermal LD₅₀ value in rabbits exceeded 5 g/kg

Hazard and Precautionary Statements (GHS)

AMBERGRISTINCTURE Chemical Properties,Usage,Production

Occurrence

In a gastric or intestinal secretion of the cachalot or sperm whale, Physeter catodon L

Preparation

By extraction with ethanol

Essential oil composition

Merck Index . Ambergris is composed of only a few characteristic chemical components, chiefly ambrein and epicoprosterol, as well as other steroids and their products, ketones , free and esterified acids , and porphyrins. The odour of ambergris is probably due to oxidation products of ambrein ; its quality depends on the amounts of ambrein and epicoprosterol and their ratio . After separation of ambrein, volatile products have been isolated including dihydro-γ-ionone , an oxide, C13H220,a hydroxyaldehyde, C17H30O2 , and a ketone, C13H20O , and y-cyclohomogeraniol, which is the chief component of the volatile non-ketonic fraction