Massoia lactone
| Massoia Lactone | |
|---|---|
| Chemical structure of Massoialactone Massoialactone | |
| Chemical name | (R)-5,6- dihydro-6-pentyl-2H-pyran-2-one |
| Synonyms | (R)-5-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid lactone Cocolactone 5-Pentylpent-2-en-5-olide |
| Chemical formula | C10H16o2 |
| Molecular mass | 168.24 g/mol |
| Melting point | -95.2 °C |
| Boiling point | 170-174 °C |
| Density | 0.982 g/cm3 |
| Refractive index | 1.46700 - 1.47700 |
| Flash point | ? |
| CAS numberTemplate:Fn | 51154-96-2 |
| Disclaimer and references | |
Massoialactone is an alkyl lactone derived from the bark of the Massoia tree (Cryptocaria massoia) which is found throughout Malaysia though can also be found in cane sugar molasses, cured tobacco and Osmanthus.
Once widely used as a natural coconut flavouring, natural Massoialactone has been largely superseded by a synthetic alternative owing to the fact that the extraction process is expensive and the tree is killed during the process of removing the bark.
Massoialactone has an odour that is described as sweet, coconut meat, lactonic, creamy, milky and waxy and, at a dilution of 20 ppm, a taste described as creamy, coconut, green and slightly fruity.