Menthyl isovalerate, also known as validolum, is the menthyl

ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...

of isovaleric acid. It is a transparent oily, colorless liquid with a smell of menthol. It is very slightly soluble in

ethanol Ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol, with its formula also written as , or EtOH, where Et is the ps ...

, while practically insoluble in water. It is used as a

food additive Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives, such as vinegar ( pickling), salt ( salting), smoke ( smoking) and sugar ( crystallization), have been used f ...

for flavor and fragrance.

Medical use

In Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and the former Soviet Union states including Russia, menthyl isovalerate mixed with roughly 25% menthol is sold as an

anxiolytic An anxiolytic (; also antipanic or anti-anxiety agent) is a medication or other intervention that reduces anxiety. This effect is in contrast to anxiogenic agents which increase anxiety. Anxiolytic medications are used for the treatment of anxie ...

under various trade names including Extravalerianic, Validol, Valofin, and Menthoval. Validol, the anxiety medication containing a roughly 25% solution of menthol in menthyl isovalerate is prepared essentially in one step, in which the amount of menthol added before conducting the acid catalysed esterification is in an excess such that the resulting solution of the yielded ester has around 25% menthol, simplifying the procedure. Work up might consist of several washings, including one with aqueous

sodium bicarbonate Sodium bicarbonate ( IUPAC name: sodium hydrogencarbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda (or simply “bicarb” especially in the UK) is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of a sodium cat ...

to neutralize traces of acid catalyst and unreacted isovaleric acid, and

distillation Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...

References

{{GABAAR PAMs GABA analogues GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators Anxiolytics Sedatives Russian drugs Isovalerate esters Isopropyl compounds

Medical use

See also

References