Methyl Anthranilate

Schiff Bases And Considerations

According to Steffen Arctander, “[t]his ester is widely used in perfume compositions as a sweet-floral Orangeblossom-type ingredient. Often applied in combination with Petitgrain oil, it supplies much of the background in Cashmere bouquet type fragrances and other Oriental, heavy floral or sweet-woody types.

Methyl anthranilate condensation products with various aldehydes (Schiff’s bases) or with Acetophenone, Musk Ketone, Ionones, etc. are often utilized in perfume compositions. It should therefore be kept in mind that when Methyl anthranilate is used in compositions with one or more of the named (or other) aldehydes and ketones, there is a good chance of chemical processes taking place in the perfume oil.

The change may be visually perceptible (color increases, usually to yellow or browninsh tints) or olfactory (intensified sweetness, loss of aldehyde components etc.) and it may take place over a period of from 24 hours up to many months.

The most popular condensation products are those with the floral aldehydes: hydroxycitronellal (Aurantiol, etc,), Anisaldehyde (Acaciol), etc. Certain aldehydes produce very dark colored condensation products and to should be avoided in compositions where Methyl anthranilate must be used (Citral, Citronella, etc.).

When the two components enter at very low percentage, there is generally no discoloration problem (several Citrus oils contain Citral and Methyl anthranilate at the same time).”