Wiktionary
n. (context organic chemistry English) A mildly toxic white crystalline organic compound of the indole family, occurring naturally in faeces and coal tar.
Wikipedia
Skatole or 3-methylindole is a mildly toxic white crystalline organic compound belonging to the indole family. It occurs naturally in feces (it is produced from tryptophan in the mammalian digestive tract) and coal tar and has a strong fecal odor. In low concentrations, it has a flowery smell and is found in several flowers and essential oils, including those of orange blossoms, jasmine, and Ziziphus mauritiana. It is used as a fragrance and fixative in many perfumes and as an aroma compound. Its name is derived from the Greek root skato- meaning "dung". Skatole was discovered in 1877 by the German physician Ludwig Brieger (1849–1919).See:
- Brieger, Ludwig (1877) "Ueber die flüchtigen Bestandtheile der menschlichen Excremente" ("On the volatile components of human excrement"), Berichte der deutschen chemischen Gesellschaft, 10 : 1027–1032.
- Reprinted in: Brieger, Ludwig (1878) , Journal für Praktische Chemie, 17 : 124–138.
- See also: Brieger, Ludwig (1879) "Ueber Skatol" (On skatole), Berichte der deutschen chemischen Gesellschaft, 12 : 1985–1988.
Brieger named skatole in Brieger (1877), page 1028:
Original : Ich habe mich zuerst mit der Untersuchung der flüchtigen Bestandtheile der Excremente aus sauerer Lösung beschäftigt. Es wurden dabei die flüchtigen Fettsäuren: Essigsäure, normale und Isobuttersäure, sowie die aromatischen Substanzen: Phenol, Indol und eine neue dem Indol verwandte Substanz, die ich Skatol nennen werde, erhalten.
Translation : I was occupied initially with the investigation of the volitile components of excrement in acidic solution. One obtained thereby volitile fatty acids; acetic acid; normal and isobutyric acid; as well as the aromatic substances: phenol, indole and a new substance which is related to indole and which I will name "skatole".
Brieger (1877), page 1030: Das Skatol ... (von το σχατος = faeces) ... (Skatole ... (from το σχατος = feces) ....) Skatole is also used by U.S. military in its non-lethal weaponry; specifically, malodorants.Usage examples of "skatole".
On the monitor a chart appeared, giving the results from the analysis: bile pigments, stercobilin, urobilin, indole, nitrates, skatole, mercaptans, hydrogen sulfide.
Just a harmless mixture of materials like butyl mercaptan, butyric acid, methanethiol, skatole, cadaverine, putrescine .
Just a harmless mixture of materials like butyl mercaptan, butyric acid, methanethiol, skatole, cadaverine, putrescine.