·
Empirical Formula (Hill Notation) C10H16O
·
Molecular Weight 152.23
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Beilstein Registry
Number 1907611
Camphor is a waxy, flammable, white or transparent solid with
a strong aroma.[5] It is a terpenoid with the chemical formulaC10H16O.
It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora),
a large evergreen tree found in Asia (particularly in Sumatra, Indonesia and Borneo)
and also of the unrelated kapur tree, a tall timber tree from the same
region.
Detailed
description
It also occurs in some other related trees in
the laurel family, notably Ocotea usambarensis.
The oil in rosemary leaves (Rosmarinus
officinalis), in the mint family, contains 10 to 20% camphor,[6] while
camphorweed (Heterotheca) only
contains some 5%.[7] Camphor can
also be synthetically produced from oil of turpentine. It is used for its
scent, as an ingredient in cooking (mainly in India), as an embalming fluid, for medicinal
purposes, and in religious ceremonies. A major source of camphor in Asia is
camphor basil (the parent of African blue basil).
The molecule has two possible enantiomers as shown in the structural
diagrams. The structure on the left is the naturally occurring (R)-form,
while its mirror image shown on the right is the (S)-form.
Uses
Explosives
Camphor is used as a plasticizer for nitrocellulose, an ingredient
for fireworks and explosive
munitions. During the late 19th Century, as Western manufacturers developed
machine guns and other rapid fire ordnance, it became imperative to reduce the
smoke that obscured battlefields and revealed hidden gun emplacements. Camphor
was an essential component in the production of smokeless gunpowder. Also, the
new smokeless powder did not foul the weapons as much as conventional gunpowder.[12]
Pest deterrent and preservative
Camphor is believed to be toxic to insects and is
thus sometimes used as a repellent.[13] Camphor is
used to make mothballs. Camphor crystals
are sometimes used to prevent damage to insect collections by other small
insects. It is kept in clothes used on special occasions and festivals, and
also in cupboard corners as a cockroach repellent.
Camphor is also used as an antimicrobial substance.
In embalming, camphor oil was
one of the ingredients used by ancient Egyptians for mummification.[14]
Solid camphor releases fumes that form a rust-preventative coating and is therefore stored in tool chests to
protect tools against rust.[15]
Culinary
In ancient and medieval Europe, camphor was used as
an ingredient in sweets. It was used in a wide variety of both savory and sweet
dishes in medieval Arabic languagecookbooks, such
as al-Kitab al-Ṭabikh compiled by ibn Sayyâr al-Warrâq in
the 10th century, and an
anonymous Andalusian cookbook
of the 13th century. It also
appears in sweet and savory dishes in a book written in the late 15th century
for the sultans of Mandu, the Ni'matnama. An early
international trade in it made camphor widely known throughout Arabia in pre-Islamic times, as it is mentioned in
the Quran 76:5 as a flavoring for drinks. By the 13th
century, it was used in recipes everywhere in the Muslim world, ranging from
main dishes such as tharid and stew to
desserts.
Currently, camphor is used as a flavoring, mostly
for sweets, in Asia. It is widely used in cooking, mainly for dessert dishes,
in India where it is known as kachha karpooram or "pachha
karpoora" ("crude/raw camphor"), in (Telugu:పచ్చ కర్పూరo), (Tamil:பச்சைக் கற்பூரம்), (Kannada:ಪಚ್ಚ ಕರ್ಪೂರ), and is available in Indian grocery stores where it is labeled
as "edible camphor".
Medicinal
Camphor is readily absorbed through the skin,
producing either a coolness or warmth sensation,[20][21] and acts as
slight local anesthetic and antimicrobial substance.
Camphor is an active ingredient (along with menthol)
in vapor-steam products, such as Vicks VapoRub. It is used as a
cough suppressant[22] and as a decongestant.[22]
Camphor may also be administered orally in small
quantities (50 mg) for minor heart symptoms and fatigue.[23] Through much
of the 1900s this was sold under the trade name Musterole; production ceased in
the 1990s.
Camphor was used in ancient Sumatra to treat
sprains, swellings, and inflammation.[24] Camphor is a
component of paregoric, an opium/camphor
tincture from the 18th century. Also in the 18th century, camphor was used
by Auenbrugger in
the treatment of mania.[25] Based on Hahnemann's writings, camphor
(dissolved in alcohol) was also successfully used to treat the 1854-1855 cholera epidemics in
Naples.[26]
It has long been used as a medical substance in
ancient India, where it generally goes by the name Karpūra. It has been
described in the 7th-century Āyurvedic work Mādhavacikitsā as being an
effective drug used for the treatment of fever. The plant has also been named
Hima and has been identified with the plant Cinnamomum camphora. According to
the Vaidyaka-śabda-sindhu, it is one of the “five flavours” used in
betel-chewing, where it is also referred to as Candrabhasma (‘moon powder’).
Small dose
Its effects on the body include tachycardia (increased
heart rate), vasodilation in
skin (flushing), slower breathing,
reduced appetite, increased secretions and excretions such as perspiration and urination. [27]
The sensation of heat or cold that camphor produces
is caused by activating the ion channel TRPV3.[20][21]
Large dose toxicity
Camphor is poisonous in large doses. It produces symptoms of
irritability, disorientation, lethargy, muscle spasms, vomiting, abdominal
cramps, convulsions, and seizures.[28][29][30]Lethal doses in
adults are in the range 50–500 mg/kg (orally). Generally, two grams cause
serious toxicity and four grams are potentially lethal.[31]
Regulation
In 1980, the US Food and Drug
Administration set a limit of 11% allowable camphor in
consumer products, and banned products labeled as camphorated oil, camphor oil,
camphor liniment, and camphorated
liniment (except "white camphor essential oil", which
contains no significant amount of camphor[citation needed]). Since alternative treatments exist, medicinal use
of camphor is discouraged by the FDA, except for skin-related uses, such as
medicated powders, which contain only small amounts of camphor.
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