Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics

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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