| Description | 4-Methyloctanoic acid, also known as Hircinoic Acid, presents as a colorless to pale-yellow oil. It is slightly soluble in chloroform, DMSO and ethyl acetate. Store in a tightly closed container in a dry and well-ventilated place. Containers which are opened must be carefully resealed and kept upright to prevent leakage. This substance is stable under recommended storage conditions. 4-Methyloctanoic Acid is incompatible with strong oxidizing agents as well as strong bases. This chemical causes severe skin burns and eye damage. |
| Chemical Properties | 4-Methyloctanoic acid has a fatty, musty, plastic odor. This compound is also reported to have a goat, costus, mutton odor |
| Physical properties | 4-Methyloctanoic acid is one of the acids mainly responsible for the so-called “soo” odour of mutton. The analogue 4-Ethyloctanoic acid (found in Virginia tobacco and Costus root oil) also has a related goaty odor; this analog has the lowest threshold of all the fatty acids at 1.8 ppb. 4-Methyloctanoic acid is used in flavours for cheese, meat, tobacco and (possibly) fish. Normal use levels in finished consumer product: up to 3 ppm. |
| Occurrence | Reported found in cooked mutton fat, raw and cooked mutton, lamb, and blue, cheddar, parmesan, provolone and romano cheeses |
| Uses | Hircinoic Acid, can be used as flavors and fragrance additive. It is also a building block use din sythesis of various chemical compounds such as, rac-Mono-(4-methyloctanyl)-phthalate (M566530). |
| Definition | ChEBI: 4-methyl-octanoic acid is a medium-chain fatty acid. |
| Aroma threshold values | Aroma characteristics at 1.0% in PG: waxy, fatty, meaty, reheated beef-like with a slightly lactonic cheesy nuance |
| Taste threshold values | Taste characteristics at 10 ppm: fatty, waxy, creamy and lactonic with a satiating fatty mouthfeel and metallic nuances. |
| General Description | 4-Methyloctanoic acid is a branched fatty acid commonly used in the flavor and fragrance industries. This compound gives sweaty and goaty flavors to the mutton meat and goat′s milk cheese, respectively. |
| Biochem/physiol Actions | Taste at 10 ppm |
