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CASTOREUM
Source: Castor fiberL. orC. canadensis
Kuhl (Family Castoridae).
Common/vernacular names: Secretion of
Canadian beaver (C. canadensis) and Siberian
or European beaver (C. fiber).
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Beavers are large pale brown to chestnut-
brown rodents. The Canadian beaver inhabits
lakes and rivers of Canada and northern Unit-
ed States, while the Siberian beaver is found in
Europe and Siberia. Castoreum is the secre-
tion accumulated in glands located near the
pubis (between anus and sex organs) of these
animals. These scent glands with their secre-
tion (castoreum) are collected and dried, from
which extracts (absolute, tincture; etc.) are
prepared by solvent extraction. Canadian cas-
toreum is considered superior in quality to the
Siberian castoreum.^1
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
Contains 1–2% volatile oil; 0.33–2.5% cas-
torin (a waxy crystalline substance separated
fromthehotalcoholicextractoncooling);upto
80% of an alcohol-soluble resinoid material;
acids (benzoic, salicylic, cinnamic acids, etc.);
phenols (phenol,o-ethylphenol,p-ethylphe-
nol, p-propylphenol, chavicol, betuligenol,
etc.); ketones (acetophenone and its deriva-
tives, an ionone derivative, etc.); castoramine;
cholesterol and other alcohols (benzylalcohol,
cis-l,2-cyclohexanediol, etc.); 1.4% calcium
phosphate; and others (ARCTANDER;LIST AND
HO ̈RHAMMER;POUCHER).^2 Canadian castoreum
and Siberian castoreum differ considerably in
their relative concentrations of certain of these
constituents, with the Siberian material gener-
ally higher involatile oil, castorin, and resinoid
matter (LIST AND HO ̈RHAMMER).
PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL
ACTIVITIES
Believed to have sedative, nervine, and other
properties. No pharmacological data are
available.
TOXICOLOGY
Few tests (primarily dermatological) using
castoreum tincture have indicated it to be
nontoxic.^3
156 Castoreum