Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Castoreum
open-in-new
<h2 id="chemical-composition">Chemical composition</h2> <p>At least 24 compounds are known constituents of beaver castoreum. Several of these have <a href="/facts/Pheromone/ymEDICw3">pheromonal</a> activity, of which the <a href="/facts/Phenol/ACJs5NIU">phenols</a> <a href="/facts/4-ethylphenol/U6oohGnI">4-ethylphenol</a> and <a href="/facts/Catechol/enIjoGHW">catechol</a> and the <a href="/facts/Ketone/BqQXpLo4">ketones</a> <a href="/facts/Acetophenone/4dk14PQz">acetophenone</a> and <a href="/facts/3-hydroxyacetophenone/XND97Fhf">3-hydroxyacetophenone</a> are strongest. Five additional compounds elicit a weaker response: <a href="/facts/4-methylcatechol/PhlERDJj">4-methylcatechol</a>, <a href="/facts/4-methoxyacetophenone/l1FGdwzP">4-methoxyacetophenone</a>, <a href="/facts/5-methoxysalicylic_acid/FNKDWzCG">5-methoxysalicylic acid</a>, <a href="/facts/Salicylaldehyde/xhpV7T9p">salicylaldehyde</a>, and <a href="/facts/3-hydroxybenzoic_acid/kkoGmfop">3-hydroxybenzoic acid</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> There are also oxygen-containing <a href="/facts/Monoterpene/6kFBtsXM">monoterpenes</a> such as 6-methyl-1-heptanol, 4,6-dimethyl-1-heptanol, isopinocamphone, pinocamphone, and two <a href="/facts/Linalool/abBM1jXB">linalool</a> oxides and their <a href="/facts/Acetate/U90VVczy">acetates</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> Other compounds are: <a href="/facts/Benzoic_acid/7HrmrBYS">benzoic acid</a>, <a href="/facts/Benzyl_alcohol/rsY1Jqr4">benzyl alcohol</a>, <a href="/facts/Borneol/ga7HozH0">borneol</a>, <a href="/facts/O-cresol/ebjur602"><i>o</i>-cresol</a>, 4-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, <a href="/facts/Hydroquinone/QQ5EfwCF">hydroquinone</a>, and <a href="/facts/Phenol/ACJs5NIU">phenol</a>. All those compounds are gathered from plant food.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> It also contains <a href="/facts/Nupharamine/zI8WV0yu">nupharamine</a> alkaloids,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Castoramine/jModnA96">castoramine</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> and <i>cis</i>-<a href="/facts/Cyclohexane-1%2c2-diol/fss78UGu">cyclohexane-1,2-diol</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="uses">Uses</h2> <h3>In perfume</h3> <p>In <a href="/facts/Perfumery/prN8beWz">perfumery</a>, the term <i>castoreum</i> refers to the resinoid extract resulting from the dried and alcohol tinctured beaver castor.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> The dried beaver castor sacs are generally aged for two or more years to mellow. </p><p>Castoreum is largely used for its <a href="/facts/Note_(perfumery)/HlAQdpzk">note</a> suggesting leather, typically compounded with other ingredients, including top, middle, and base notes. Some classic perfumes incorporating castoreum are Emeraude, <a href="/facts/Chanel/oHTevhtr">Chanel</a> Antaeus, Cuir de Russie, Magie Noire, Lancôme Caractère, Hechter Madame, Givenchy III, <a href="/facts/Shalimar_(perfume)/AgexUuEF">Shalimar</a>, and many "leather" themed compositions.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> </p> <h3>In food</h3> <p>In the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a>, the <a href="/facts/Food_and_Drug_Administration/rCEnh9WB">Food and Drug Administration</a> lists castoreum extract as a <a href="/facts/Generally_recognized_as_safe/RkJynJyk">generally recognized as safe</a> (GRAS) <a href="/facts/Food_additive/jGk8zjn8">food additive</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> In 1965, the <a href="/facts/Flavor_and_Extract_Manufacturers_Association/I9Ls8xkW">Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association</a>'s GRAS program (FEMA 2261 and 2262) added castoreum extract and castoreum liquid.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> Historically, compounds isolated from castoreum were used in strawberry and raspberry flavorings and vanilla substitutes,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> but at present, the annual industry consumption is very low, around 100 kilograms (300 lb),<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a> whereas <a href="/facts/Vanillin/mBmdAn7I">vanillin</a> is over 1.2×10^6 kg (2.6×10^6 lb) annually.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20"><sup>20</sup></a> </p><p>Castoreum has been traditionally used in <a href="/facts/Sweden/u3qC7lyj">Sweden</a> for flavoring a variety of <a href="/facts/Schnapps/mwCA6wGa">schnapps</a> commonly referred to as <i>Bäverhojt</i> (lit. 'beaver shout').<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21"><sup>21</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22"><sup>22</sup></a> </p> <h3>Other</h3> <p>Castoreum was also considered as an ingredient for the flavor and odor of <a href="/facts/Cigarette/8kuVCjbr">cigarettes</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:23" href="#fn:23"><sup>23</sup></a> </p><p>Medieval <a href="/facts/Beekeeping/7mewsgqp">beekeepers</a> used castoreum to increase <a href="/facts/Honey/jnRSlNEF">honey</a> production.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:24" href="#fn:24"><sup>24</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="related-animal-products">Related animal products</h2> <ul><li>Taxea, a secretion of the <a href="/facts/Badger/b7dIdTmM">badger</a>'s subcaudal glands comparable in its medicinal use to the better-known castoreum</li> <li><a href="/facts/Hyraceum/WDx1CjLq">Hyraceum</a>, the petrified and rock-like excrement composed of urine and feces excreted by the <a href="/facts/Cape_hyrax/BdvLSYkH">Cape hyrax</a> (<i>Procavia capensis</i>), and a sought-after material that has been used in traditional South African medicine and perfumery</li></ul> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Musk/4zJGHg3h">Musk</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Ambergris/HVzdr8w3">Ambergris</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Perfume/prN8beWz">Perfume - Animal sources</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Violet_gland/S6kHEHaU">Violet gland</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://archive.today/20070624132157/http://www.museesdegrasse.com/MIP/fla_ang/mat_prem_10.shtml">The International Perfume Museum: Castoreum</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Walro, J.M. and Svendsen, G.E., "Castor sacs and anal glands of the North American beaver (Castor canadensis): their histology, development, and relationship to scent communication". Journal of Chemical Ecology, Volume 8, Number 5 / May 1982, Department of Zoology and Microbiology, Ohio University, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00994781" target="_blank">https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00994781</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Müller-Schwarze, Dietland (1992). "Castoreum of beaver (Castor canadensis): function, chemistry and biological activity of its components". Chemical Signals in Vertebrates IV, 457–464, Plenum Press. <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4757-9655-1_70" target="_blank">https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4757-9655-1_70</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Johnston, Robert E.; Sorenson, Peter W.; and Müller-Schwarze, Dietland (1999). Advances in Chemical Signals in Vertebrates, Springer, 1, 282. ISBN 0-306-46114-5. <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4615-4733-4" target="_blank">https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4615-4733-4</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Svendsen, G.E., Huntsman, W.D, "A field Assay of Beaver Castoreum and Some of its Components". American Midland Naturalist, Vol. 120, No. 1 (Jul. 1988), pp. 144–149, University of Notre Dame. JSTOR 2425894. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"Does your vanilla ice cream have beaver goo in it?". Animals. 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2024-04-30. <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/beaver-butt-goo-vanilla-flavoring" target="_blank">https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/beaver-butt-goo-vanilla-flavoring</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>International Perfume Museum, Grasse, France, Website: "Welcome in the International Perfume Museum: Raw materials". Archived from the original on 2007-06-24. Retrieved 2006-02-28. <a href="https://archive.today/20070624132157/http://www.museesdegrasse.com/MIP/fla_ang/mat_prem_10.shtml" target="_blank">https://archive.today/20070624132157/http://www.museesdegrasse.com/MIP/fla_ang/mat_prem_10.shtml</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Burdock, G. A. (2007-01-01). "Safety assessment of castoreum extract as a food ingredient". International Journal of Toxicology. 26 (1): 51–55. doi:10.1080/10915810601120145. ISSN 1091-5818. PMID 17365147. S2CID 39977652. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Pheromonal activity of single castoreum constituents in beaver, Castor canadensis., Müller-Schwarze, D and Houlihan, P.W., Journal of Chemical Ecology, April 1991, Volume 17, Number 4, Springer Netherlands, doi:10.1007/BF00994195 <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Neutral compounds from male castoreum of North American beaver, Castor canadensis. Rong Tang, Francis X. Webster, Dietland Müller-Schwarze, Journal of Chemical Ecology, November 1995, Volume 21, Issue 11, pages 1745–1762, doi:10.1007/BF02033674 <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>The Beaver: Its Life and Impact. Dietland Muller-Schwarze, 2003, page 43 (book at Google Books) <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=HZ5WjXB5Pr8C&dq=Castoreum+beekeeping&pg=PA43" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=HZ5WjXB5Pr8C&dq=Castoreum+beekeeping&pg=PA43</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Stereoselective synthesis of enantiomerically pure nupharamine alkaloids from castoreum. Stoye A, Quandt G, Brunnhöfer B, Kapatsina E, Baron J, Fischer A, Weymann M and Kunz H, Angew Chem Int Ed Engl., 2009, volume 48, issue 12, pages 2228–2230, doi:10.1002/anie.200805606 <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Zur Kenntnis der stickstoffhaltigen Inhaltsstoffe von Castoreum. B. Maurer and G. Ohloff, Helvetica Chimica Acta, 2 June 1976, Volume 59, Issue 4, pages 1169–1185, doi:10.1002/hlca.19760590420 <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>cis-Cyclohexane-1,2-diol in the beaver gland. Z. Valenta, A. Khaleque, M. H. Rashid, Experientia, 1961, Volume 17, Issue 3, page 130, doi:10.1007/BF02160827 <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Hyraceum.com, "Castoreum, Perfumer's Ancient Intrigue," http://www.hyraceum.com Archived February 7, 2013, at the Wayback Machine <a href="http://www.hyraceum.com" target="_blank">http://www.hyraceum.com</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>International Perfume Museum, Grasse, France, Website: "Welcome in the International Perfume Museum: Raw materials". Archived from the original on 2007-06-24. Retrieved 2006-02-28. <a href="https://archive.today/20070624132157/http://www.museesdegrasse.com/MIP/fla_ang/mat_prem_10.shtml" target="_blank">https://archive.today/20070624132157/http://www.museesdegrasse.com/MIP/fla_ang/mat_prem_10.shtml</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Burdock GA (2007). "Safety assessment of castore um extract as a food ingredient". International Journal of Toxicology. 26 (1): 51–5. doi:10.1080/10915810601120145. PMID 17365147. S2CID 39977652. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Recent Progress In the Consideration Under of Flavoring Ingredients the Food Additives Amendment (1965) <a href="http://www.femaflavor.org/sites/default/files/3.%20GRAS%20Substances%282001-3124%29.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.femaflavor.org/sites/default/files/3.%20GRAS%20Substances%282001-3124%29.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Doucleff, Michaeleen (2014-03-26). "Does Beaver Tush Flavor Your Strawberry Shortcake? We Go Myth Busting". NPR. Retrieved 2025-04-09. <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/03/26/293406191/does-beaver-tush-flavor-your-strawberry-shortcake-we-go-myth-busting" target="_blank">https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/03/26/293406191/does-beaver-tush-flavor-your-strawberry-shortcake-we-go-myth-busting</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>Burdock, George A., Fenaroli's handbook of flavor ingredients Archived 2021-01-09 at the Wayback Machine. CRC Press, 2010. p. 273-5. <a href="https://the-eye.eu/public/Books/campdivision.com/PDF/Sciences/Chemistry/Fenarolis%20Handbook%20of%20Flavor%20Ingredients_%206th%20Ed_%20George%20A%20Burdock_%202009.pdf#page=298&zoom=auto,-16,316" target="_blank">https://the-eye.eu/public/Books/campdivision.com/PDF/Sciences/Chemistry/Fenarolis%20Handbook%20of%20Flavor%20Ingredients_%206th%20Ed_%20George%20A%20Burdock_%202009.pdf#page=298&zoom=auto,-16,316</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:20"><p>Burdock, George A., Fenaroli's handbook of flavor ingredients Archived 2021-01-09 at the Wayback Machine. CRC Press, 2010. p. 274. <a href="https://the-eye.eu/public/Books/campdivision.com/PDF/Sciences/Chemistry/Fenarolis%20Handbook%20of%20Flavor%20Ingredients_%206th%20Ed_%20George%20A%20Burdock_%202009.pdf#page=699&zoom=auto,-16,784" target="_blank">https://the-eye.eu/public/Books/campdivision.com/PDF/Sciences/Chemistry/Fenarolis%20Handbook%20of%20Flavor%20Ingredients_%206th%20Ed_%20George%20A%20Burdock_%202009.pdf#page=699&zoom=auto,-16,784</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:21"><p>Baron Ambrosia (26 February 2015). "Tales from the Fringe: Beaver Gland Vodka". PunchDrink.com. Retrieved 11 December 2015. <a href="http://punchdrink.com/articles/tales-from-the-fringe-beaver-gland-vodka/" target="_blank">http://punchdrink.com/articles/tales-from-the-fringe-beaver-gland-vodka/</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:22"><p>"BVR HJT". Archived from the original on 2013-08-26. Retrieved 2013-09-16. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130826162533/http://losmith.se/sprit/bvr-hjt/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20130826162533/http://losmith.se/sprit/bvr-hjt/</a> <a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:23"><p>United States Patent Application US20140123991A1 "Examples of the hydrophobic flavorant include ... castoreum" <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US20140123991" target="_blank">https://patents.google.com/patent/US20140123991</a> <a href="#fnref:23" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:24"><p>The Beaver: Its Life and Impact. Dietland Muller-Schwarze, 2003, page 43 (book at Google Books) <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=HZ5WjXB5Pr8C&dq=Castoreum+beekeeping&pg=PA43" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=HZ5WjXB5Pr8C&dq=Castoreum+beekeeping&pg=PA43</a> <a href="#fnref:24" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>