(Z)-Jasmone

(Z)-Jasmone is the key constituent for the defining jasmine aroma. It occurs substantially in jasmine absolute and ginger lily.

Skin. Applied undiluted to rabbit skin, it was moderately to severely irritating. An 8 percent patch test on 25 volunteers produced neither irritation nor sensitization.

Oral and dermal. Acute oral LD50 in rats is around 5 g/kg. Acute dermal LD50 in rabbits exceeds 5 g/kg.

Mutagenicity. Genotoxic in Chinese hamster ovary cells, the only positive test reported.

Cancer. (Z)-Jasmone dose-dependently inhibited growth of two human lung cancer cell lines in vitro, with apoptosis observed. It also inhibited the proliferation of human prostate PC-3 cancer cells. Jasmonates act directly and selectively on mitochondria derived from cancer cells, bypassing premitochondrial apoptotic blocks.

(Z)-Jasmone together with methyl jasmonate, indole, benzyl acetate and linalool forms the defining profile of jasmine oil. In perfumery, even in trace amounts, (Z)-jasmone is the indispensable note for natural jasmine character.