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Indole

Benzo[b]pyrrole

1H-Indole · 2,3-Benzopyrrole

Bicyclic nitrogen heterocycle · C₈H₇N

Chemical structure of Indole
2D structure PubChem / NCI CIR

Chemical info

CAS number CAS
120-72-9
Molecular formula
C₈H₇N
Molecular weight
117.15 g/mol
Aroma
A peculiar pungent note: at high doses faecal, at extreme dilution it becomes the heart of jasmine and orange-blossom.

Safety

Moderate concern · Limited data

Indole is a heterocyclic nitrogen with a central role in the aroma of jasmine and orange-blossom. The compound has moderate toxicity.

Skin. A 1 percent patch test on 25 volunteers produced no sensitization. Undiluted material was not irritating to rabbit skin.

Oral and dermal. Acute oral LD50 in rats is 1 mL/kg. Single skin-penetration LD50 in rabbits is 0.79 mL/kg. This 'moderate' level is not concerning given the very low concentrations in essential oils.

Mutagenicity. Not mutagenic in the Ames test.

Usage guidelines

Concern level
Low at standard use
Oils with high content
Jasmine sambac absolute 14.1 percent, Orange champaca 2.9 – 12.0 percent

Found in essential oils

Principal sources
Jasmine sambac14.1 %
Champaca (orange)2.9 – 12.0 %
Ginger lily7.0 %
Jasmine0.7 – 3.5 %
Honeysuckle3.3 %
Jonquil1.7 %
Narcissus0 – 1.5 %
Orange flower0.1 – 1.0 %

Pharmacokinetics

In rats, indole is metabolized by hydroxylation and excreted partly as glucuronide but mainly as the sulfate conjugate. After oral dosing, 80 percent is excreted in urine, 10 percent in feces and 2 percent in expired air. The major urinary metabolite is indoxyl sulfate.

Notes

Indole is the constituent responsible for the 'dark side' of white-flower oils. At high concentration its odor is unpleasant, but at extreme dilution it becomes indispensable to the jasmine and orange-blossom profile.