Physical Characteristic

Specification

Appearance

Colourless or pale yellow liquid.

Odor

Spicy odour.

Identification.

First identification B.

Second identification A.

Complying with test

Thin-layer chromatography

Relative density @ 25°C

0.885 to 0.905.

Refractive index @ 20°C

1.475 to 1.485.

Optical rotation @ 20°C

+ 8° to + 18°.

Fatty oils and resinified essential oils

It complies with the test.

Solubility

It is soluble in 5 volumes of ethanol (70 per cent V/V)

Assay by GC

a-pinene 

b-pinene 

sabinene 

car-3-ene 

limonene 

g-terpinene 

terpinen-4-ol

safrole 

myristicine

15.0 to 28.0%

13.0 to 18.0

14.0 to 29.0%

0.50 to 2.0%

2.0 to 7.0%

2.0 to 6.0%

2.0 to 6.0%

Less than 2.50%

5.0 to 12%