DL-menthol

Appearance / physical state / colour

Administrative data

Endpoint:

appearance / physical state / colour

Type of information:

migrated information: read-across from supporting substance (structural analogue or surrogate)

Adequacy of study:

key study

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: see 'Remark'

Remarks:

GLP guideline study; If not used for read-across this study would receive a reliability of 1 according to Klimisch. Hypothesis for the read-across approach: REACH regulation (Corrigendum) EC 1907/2006 on page L 136/120: “Substances whose physicochemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological properties are likely to be similar or follow a regular pattern as a result of structural similarity may be considered as a group, or ‘category’ of substances. Application of the group concept requires that physicochemical properties, human health effects and environmental effects or environmental fate may be predicted from data for reference substance(s) within the group by interpolation to other substances in the group (read-across approach).” Further, ECHA guidance document “Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment – Chapter R.6: QSARs and grouping of chemicals (May, 2008)” provides information on the use of read-across (page 78) as follows: “In the read-across technique, endpoint information for one chemical is used to predict the same endpoint for another chemical, which is considered to be similar in some way (usually on the basis of structural similarity). In principle, read-across can be applied to characterise physico-chemical properties, environmental fate, human health effects and ecotoxicity.” It can be stated that menthols act as a prime example of substances that are suitable for read-across since menthols are (stereo)isomeres and, thus ideally fulfill the recommended criteria of structural similarity. Further, the OECD SIDS report on menthols (2003) assessed data of the isomers L-menthol (CAS no. 2216-51-5), D-menthol (CAS no. 15356-60-2), the racemate and menthol (unspecified isomers; CAS no. 1490-04-6). The report concludes on page 4 that “the menthols can be considered as a category because of their similarity in physico-chemical, toxicological, ecotoxicological and environmental fate properties” which is another requirement to justify the application of the read-across approach.

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

review article or handbook

Title:

An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals, 14th Edition

Author:

The Merck Index

Year:

2006

Bibliographic source:

Merck & Co. Whitehouse Station, NJ: USA., p. 1008

Materials and methods

Principles of method if other than guideline:

no data

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Menthol

EC Number:

201-939-0

EC Name:

Menthol

Cas Number:

89-78-1

Molecular formula:

C10H20O

IUPAC Name:

2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexanol

Details on test material:

- Name of test material (as cited in study report): D,L-Menthol
- Molecular formula (if other than submission substance): equal to sumbmission substance
- Molecular weight (if other than submission substance): equal to sumbmission substance
- Smiles notation (if other than submission substance): equal to sumbmission substance
- Structural formula attached as image file (if other than submission substance): equal to sumbmission substance
- Physical state: solid

Results and discussion

Physical state at 20°C and 1013 hPa:

solid

Form / colour / odour

Form:

crystalline

Odour:

other: minty

Substance type:

organic

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Executive summary:

The physical state of Menthol (CAS no. 89-78-1) was described as a crystalline, organic solid (Merck Index, 2006).