Sassafras oil, a key raw material now largely banned from the market

摘要

Sassafras oil has been for a long time an important raw material for the production of chemicals used in the flavours & fragrances and insecticide industries. The main component of Sassafras oil is safrole (80-90% of the raw oil depending on the source), which can be then chemically converted to isosafrole. Although safrole and isosafrole have been widely employed as flavours and fragrances, their use has been now largely restricted by the health authorities as the two compounds are reputed to be carcinogenic and irritants for the skin (1,2). Studies on mice have shown a potential effect of safrole to induce liver cancer, kidney disorders, and damages to the central nervous system.