Iodex, a pain relief balm, has the smell of ________ .

The correct answer is Methyl Salicylate.

Key Points

• Its molecular formula is C₈H₈O₃.
• Molecular Weight: 152.15 g/mol.
• Methyl salicylate is an organic ester naturally produced by many species of plants, particularly wintergreens.
• It is also synthetically produced, used as a fragrance, in foods and beverages, and in liniments.
• Methyl salicylate appears as a colorless yellowish or reddish liquid with an odor of wintergreen.
• It was first extracted and isolated from plant species Gaultheria procumbens in 1843.

​Important Points

• It exhibits a characteristic odor and taste of wintergreen.
• For acute joint and muscular pain, methyl salicylate is used as a rubefacient and analgesic in deep heating liniments.
• It is used as a flavoring agent in chewing gums and mints in small concentrations.
•  It is used as an antiseptic in Listerine mouthwash produced by the Johnson & Johnson company.

​Additional Information

• Ethyl salicylate:
  • Molecular Formula: C9H10O3.
  • Molecular Weight: 166.17 g/mol.
  • Ethyl salicylate is a hydroxybenzoic acid.
  • colorless to pale yellow liquid with a spicy, anisic, wintergreen-like odor.
  • slightly soluble in water, glycerol; soluble in organic solvents, oils.
• Propyl salicylate:
  • Molecular Formula: C₁₀H₁₂O₃.
  • Molecular Weight: 180.2 g/mol.
• Butyl salicylate:
  • Molecular Formula: C₁₁H₁₄O₃.
  • Molecular Weight: 194.23 g/mol.
  • It is used as a flavoring agent.