Pheromonal activity of single castoreum constituents in beaver,Castor canadensis - PubMed

Pheromonal activity of single castoreum constituents in beaver,Castor canadensis

D Müller-Schwarze et al. J Chem Ecol. 1991 Apr.

Abstract

Behavioral activity of single components of beaver castoreum was demonstrated for the first time. In four experiments samples were presented to free-ranging beaver in their family territories. First, responses to whole castoreum and anal gland secretion (AGS) from males and females were tested. Second, 24 compounds, known to be constituents of beaver castoreum, were individually screened for activity. Four of these consistently released immediate responses during the observation periods. These are the phenols 4-ethylphenol and 1,2-dihydroxybenzene and the ketones acetophenone and 3-hydroxyacetophenone. In the most complete responses, the beaver sniffed from the water, were attracted to the odor, swam toward its source, went on land, and then approached, sniffed, pawed, and scent-marked the artificial scent mound. 4-Ethoxyphenol, a compound not yet found in castoreum, also released these responses. Five additional compounds resulted in a few delayed visits to the samples during the night following the observations, as evidenced by destroyed scent mounds. These are 4-methyl-1,2-dihydroxybenzene, 4-methoxyacetophenone, 5-methoxysalicylic acid, salicylaldehyde, and 3-hydroxybenzoic acid. Third, mixtures of 24 and six compounds were tested. Responses to these mixtures could be as strong as those to whole castoreum. Fourth, the four regularly active compounds were tested in two additional beaver populations and proved to be active there, too. The response was strongest in the densest beaver population.

Similar articles

• Odorant source used in Eurasian beaver territory marking.

  Rosel F, Sundsdal LJ. Rosel F, et al. J Chem Ecol. 2001 Dec;27(12):2471-91. doi: 10.1023/a:1013627515232. J Chem Ecol. 2001. PMID: 11789953

• Beaver (Castor canadensis) responses to major phenolic and neutral compounds in castoreum.

  Schulte BA, Müller-Schwarze D, Tang R, Webster FX. Schulte BA, et al. J Chem Ecol. 1994 Dec;20(12):3063-81. doi: 10.1007/BF02033711. J Chem Ecol. 1994. PMID: 24241977

• Phenolic compounds from male castoreum of the North American beaver,Castor canadensis.

  Tang R, Webster FX, Müller-Schwarze D. Tang R, et al. J Chem Ecol. 1993 Jul;19(7):1491-500. doi: 10.1007/BF00984892. J Chem Ecol. 1993. PMID: 24249178

• Bioactivity of beaver castoreum constituents using principal components analysis.

  Schulte BA, Müller-Schwarze D, Tang R, Webster FX. Schulte BA, et al. J Chem Ecol. 1995 Jul;21(7):941-57. doi: 10.1007/BF02033800. J Chem Ecol. 1995. PMID: 24234411

• Safety assessment of castoreum extract as a food ingredient.

  Burdock GA. Burdock GA. Int J Toxicol. 2007 Jan-Feb;26(1):51-5. doi: 10.1080/10915810601120145. Int J Toxicol. 2007. PMID: 17365147 Review.

Cited by

• Enantiospecific Synthesis and Biological Investigations of a Nuphar Alkaloid: Proposed Structure of a Castoreum Component.

  Seki H, Georg GI. Seki H, et al. European J Org Chem. 2014 Jun 1;2014(18):3777-3783. doi: 10.1002/ejoc.201402232. European J Org Chem. 2014. PMID: 25395879 Free PMC article.

• Are mammal olfactory signals hiding right under our noses?

  Apps PJ. Apps PJ. Naturwissenschaften. 2013 Jun;100(6):487-506. doi: 10.1007/s00114-013-1054-1. Epub 2013 May 15. Naturwissenschaften. 2013. PMID: 23674106 Review.

• Odorant source used in Eurasian beaver territory marking.

  Rosel F, Sundsdal LJ. Rosel F, et al. J Chem Ecol. 2001 Dec;27(12):2471-91. doi: 10.1023/a:1013627515232. J Chem Ecol. 2001. PMID: 11789953

• Beaver (Castor canadensis) responses to major phenolic and neutral compounds in castoreum.

  Schulte BA, Müller-Schwarze D, Tang R, Webster FX. Schulte BA, et al. J Chem Ecol. 1994 Dec;20(12):3063-81. doi: 10.1007/BF02033711. J Chem Ecol. 1994. PMID: 24241977

• Low-Temperature Infrared Spectra and Ultraviolet-Induced Rotamerization of 5-Chlorosalicylaldehyde.

  Brito ALB, Roque JPL, Sıdır İ, Fausto R. Brito ALB, et al. J Phys Chem A. 2022 Aug 11;126(31):5148-5159. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c03685. Epub 2022 Jul 29. J Phys Chem A. 2022. PMID: 35905487 Free PMC article.

References