Heliotropine
Heliotropine, also known as piperonal, is 3,4-methylenedioxybenzaldehyde, an aromatic aldehyde of formula C8H6O3 and CAS number 120-57-0, in which a methylenedioxy bridge spans the 3 and 4 positions of benzaldehyde. Its odour is sweet, powdery and floral, recalling heliotrope and vanilla with a cherry almond facet, and it is one of the classical materials of both flavour and perfumery work. It occurs naturally in vanilla and in black pepper, though at levels far too low to serve as a commercial source.
The trade stocks it as white to off white crystals or flakes with a melting point near 37 degrees Celsius, which means the material softens in a warm store and is normally held cool. It boils around 263 degrees Celsius, is practically insoluble in water and freely soluble in ethanol, propylene glycol and edible oils, and is commonly stocked as a solution in propylene glycol or triacetin for liquid compounding. As an aromatic aldehyde it oxidises slowly to the corresponding acid on exposure to air, and it discolours under light, so it is packed under nitrogen in light shielded fibre drums or aluminium pouches.
We source bulk Heliotropine from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Beijing. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
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- Function
- Flavours and Aromas
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White to off white crystals or flakes |
| Odour | Characteristic sweet floral heliotrope with a vanilla facet |
| Assay by Gas Chromatography | Not less than 99.0 percent |
| Identification | Infrared spectrum conforms to reference |
| Melting Range | 35.5 to 37.5 degrees Celsius |
| Solubility | Freely soluble in ethanol, practically insoluble in water |
| Colour in 10 percent Ethanol Solution | Not darker than the reference standard |
| Acid Value | Not more than 1.0 mg KOH per gram |
| Loss on Drying | Not more than 0.5 percent |
| Residue on Ignition | Not more than 0.05 percent |
| Heavy Metals as Pb | Not more than 10 mg per kg |
| Lead | Not more than 1.0 mg per kg |
| Arsenic | Not more than 1.0 mg per kg |
| Residual Solvent | Not more than 100 mg per kg |
Common Markets Grades
Heliotropine is traded essentially as one specification, crystalline material at 99 percent minimum assay conforming to the Food Chemicals Codex monograph, with a defined melting range as the primary identity check. Technical and fragrance grades exist at the same assay but without the food monograph documentation, and are not interchangeable with food grade material.
The practical grade choices are physical form and concentration. Flake and crystal forms differ in handling and dissolution rate, and 10 or 20 percent solutions in propylene glycol or triacetin are stocked so that a liquid flavour formula can be dispensed without weighing and dissolving a solid. Kosher and halal documentation is routinely available. Because heliotropine is a controlled drug precursor in several jurisdictions, supply is accompanied by end use documentation and purchase records regardless of grade.
Applications
- Vanilla flavours, where it broadens vanillin with a powdery floral facet
- Cherry and almond flavours, contributing the sweet benzaldehyde adjacent character
- Confectionery and boiled sweets, where the melting point allows dosing into a hot sugar mass
- Bakery, where it survives the oven better than most aldehydes
- Chocolate and cocoa flavours, rounding the bitter edge
- Ice cream and dairy desserts in vanilla and cherry variants
- Chewing gum and confectionery coatings
- Soft drinks and syrups in cherry cola style profiles
- Fine fragrance and soap perfumery in heliotrope, powdery and oriental accords
- As a chemical intermediate in the synthesis of other aroma materials and of pharmaceutical actives
China Manufacturers of Heliotropine
Top Heliotropine manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
Regulatory Status
In the United States heliotropine carries FEMA GRAS number 2911 and is recognised as a synthetic flavouring substance permitted for use in food under 21 CFR 172.515. Food grade material conforms to the Food Chemicals Codex monograph for piperonal. Separately, piperonal is a listed chemical under the Controlled Substances Act because it can serve as a precursor to controlled substances, and its manufacture, import, export and distribution are subject to registration and record keeping requirements administered by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
In the European Union heliotropine appears in the Union list of authorised flavouring substances maintained under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008, which permits it for general flavouring use subject to good manufacturing practice. It is also a scheduled drug precursor under the Union legislation on the manufacture and placing on the market of certain substances used in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs, so trade requires licensing, customer declarations and reporting of suspicious transactions. The Council of Europe has listed it in its flavouring inventory, and JECFA has evaluated it within the group of benzyl derivative flavouring agents and published a specification for it.
Manufacturing Process
Modern production builds the methylenedioxy ring first and then introduces the aldehyde. Catechol is reacted with dichloromethane in the presence of a base to close the five membered ring and give 1,3-benzodioxole. That intermediate is then formylated, most commonly by a Vilsmeier reaction with dimethylformamide and phosphorus oxychloride, or by chloromethylation followed by oxidation of the resulting benzyl chloride to the aldehyde. The historic route, which oxidised isosafrole derived from safrole with a chromium or manganese oxidant, has largely been abandoned because safrole is a restricted material.
The crude aldehyde is neutralised and washed to remove reagent residues, then purified by vacuum distillation followed by crystallisation from an alcohol or hydrocarbon solvent. The crystals are separated by centrifuge or filter, washed, dried under vacuum at a temperature well below the melting point, and either flaked or milled to the specified particle size. Finished material is assayed by gas chromatography, checked for melting range and colour in solution, and packed under nitrogen in light shielded containers.
