Methyl anthranilate

Methyl anthranilate is a common benzenoid ester in floral essential oils. Available data indicate low risk.

Skin. A 10 percent patch test on 25 volunteers caused no irritation and no sensitization.

Acute toxicity. Acute oral LD50 in rats is 2.91 g/kg, in mice 3.9 g/kg, in guinea pigs 2.78 g/kg.

Subchronic toxicity. In a 90-day rat feed study, 1,000 or 10,000 ppm methyl anthranilate produced no macroscopic effects. The high dose corresponds to 400 to 800 mg/kg body weight.

Mutagenicity. Non-mutagenic in the Ames test. Showed weak genotoxic activity in Chinese hamster cells.

Cancer. In a mouse study, ip injection of methyl anthranilate did not increase lung tumor incidence.

Methyl anthranilate fluoresces blue under UV light, a property useful for identifying its presence in floral oils. The compound gives the Concord grape note to the neroli aroma signature.