| Names | |
|---|---|
| Other names 3-[(2R,3R)-3-Pentyloxiranyl]-2E-propenal; Epoxy-2-decenal | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) | |
| ChemSpider | |
PubChem CID | |
| UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
| |
| |
| Properties | |
| C10H16O2 | |
| Molar mass | 168.236 g·mol−1 |
| Hazards | |
| GHS labelling: | |
| | |
| Danger | |
| H225, H319, H336 EUH066 | |
| P210, P261, P264, P280, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P312, P337+P313 | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
trans-4,5-Epoxy-( E )-2-decenal (E2D)is an oxygenated α,β-unsaturated aldehyde found in mammalian blood that gives blood its characteristic metallic odor. It is used by predators to locate blood or prey. [1] trans-4,5-Epoxy-( E )-2-decenal is almost certainly found in all mammals. [2] Humans can smell it at a concentration of 1.5 pg/L in air, [3] at 15 ng/L in water and 1.3μg/L in oil. [4] It was permitted as a food flavouring in the EU until it was prohibited on 11 July 2017 [5] on the grounds of possible genotoxicity, as observed from rat livers. [6]
It can be formed during baking fats that contain linoleic acid. 13-Hydroperoxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid and 9-hydroperoxy-10,12-octadecadienoic acid are intermediates in the process. [7] The aldehyde also forms in cooked beef when it sits in the refrigerator for too long contributing to a stale smell. [8] It is also an important part of the smell of raw and cooked mutton. [9]
Humans are more sensitive to the smell of trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal than mice. [10] They are also more than one order of magnitude more sensitive to the (−)- enantiomer (S,S). [11]