Citronellal or rhodinal (
C10 H18 O) is a mono
terpenoid
The terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, are a class of naturally occurring organic chemicals derived from the 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes, diterpenes, etc. While sometimes used interchangeably with "terpenes" ...
aldehyde
In organic chemistry, an aldehyde () is an organic compound containing a functional group with the structure . The functional group itself (without the "R" side chain) can be referred to as an aldehyde but can also be classified as a formyl grou ...
, the main component in the mixture of terpenoid
chemical compound
A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...
s that give
citronella oil
Citronella oil
Citronella oil is an essential oil obtained from the leaves and stems of different species of ''Cymbopogon'' (lemongrass). The oil is used extensively as a source of perfumery chemicals such as citronellal, citronellol, and geranio ...
its distinctive lemon scent.
Citronellal is a main
isolate in distilled oils from the plants ''
Cymbopogon'' (excepting C. citratus, culinary lemongrass),
lemon-scented gum, and
lemon-scented teatree. The (''S'')-(−)-
enantiomer of citronellal makes up to 80% of the oil from
kaffir lime
''Citrus hystrix'', called the kaffir lime or makrut lime, (, ) is a citrus fruit native to tropical Southeast Asia.
Its fruit and leaves are used in Southeast Asian cuisine, and its essential oil is used in perfumery. Its rind and crushed leav ...
leaves and is the compound responsible for its characteristic aroma.
Citronellal has insect repellent properties, and research shows high repellent effectiveness against mosquitoes. Another research shows that citronellal has strong antifungal qualities.
Compendial status
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British Pharmacopoeia
The ''British Pharmacopoeia'' (''BP'') is the national pharmacopoeia of the United Kingdom. It is an annually published collection of quality standards for medicinal substances in the UK, which is used by individuals and organisations involv ...
See also
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Citral
Citral is an acyclic monoterpene aldehyde, and being a monoterpene, it is made of two isoprene units. Citral is a collective term which covers two geometric isomers that have their own separate names; the ''E''-isomer is named geranial (''trans' ...
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Citronellol
Citronellol, or dihydrogeraniol, is a natural acyclic monoterpenoid. Both enantiomers occur in nature. (+)-Citronellol, which is found in citronella oils, including ''Cymbopogon nardus'' (50%), is the more common isomer. (−)-Citronellol is w ...
*
Citronella oil
Citronella oil
Citronella oil is an essential oil obtained from the leaves and stems of different species of ''Cymbopogon'' (lemongrass). The oil is used extensively as a source of perfumery chemicals such as citronellal, citronellol, and geranio ...
*
Hydroxycitronellal
Hydroxycitronellal (7-hydroxy-3,7-dimethyloctanal) is an odorant used in perfumery. Its molecular formula is C10 H20 O2.
It derives from a citronellal. 7-Hydroxy-3, 7-dimethyloctanal, also known as 3, 7-dimethyl-7-hydroxyoctan-1-al or 7-hydrox ...
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Perfume allergy
Perfume intolerance or perfume allergy is a condition wherein people exhibit sensitivity or allergic reactions to ingredients in some perfumes and some other fragrances. It is a form of multiple chemical sensitivity, a more general phenomenon fo ...
References
{{reflist
Flavors
Alkenals
Monoterpenes