Technical Ingredient Overview

• 🏭 Manufacturer — Givaudan

• 🔎 Chemical Name — Ethyl 3-isopropylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylate (PubChem, 2025)

• 🧪 Synonyms — Ethyl (2R,3R)-3-isopropylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylate; reaction mass of stereoisomers (PubChem, 2025)

• 🧬 Chemical Formula — C₁₃H₂₀O₂ (PubChem, 2025)

• 📂 CAS — 116126-82-0 / 116044-44-1 (PubChem, 2025)

• 📘 FEMA — Not assigned (not approved for flavour use).

• ⚖️ Molecular Weight — 208.30 g·mol⁻¹ (PubChem, 2025)

• 📝 Odor Type — Fruity-green, herbal-fresh with warm-spicy undertone (Givaudan, n.d.)

• 📈 Odor Strength — High odour value; detectable for several days on blotter (Givaudan, n.d.)

• 👃🏼 Odor Profile — Juicy banana, pineapple, and blackcurrant facets over a crisp green-herbal core with subtle warm spice nuances (Givaudan, n.d.) fruity note with hints of banana, pineapple, and blackcurrant. The background is fresh and herbal with a warm spicy element.

• ⚗️ Uses — Fruity enhancer, green modifier, herbal-fresh top-note booster; effective in citrus, tropical-fruit, fougère, and spice accords (Givaudan, n.d.) Herbanate is a versatile material that provides or enhances the natural effect of fragrances, particularly in fruity notes where it gives a juicy tropical fruit effect. It can also be used as a 10% dilution to provide a green herbal freshness and blends well with citrus, green, and even spicy notes (Givaudan).

• 🧴 Appearance — Colourless liquid (PubChem, 2025)

What is Herbanate?

Herbanate is a high-impact bicyclic ester used predominantly in fine and functional perfumery to introduce naturalistic fruity-green tonalities. It is supplied as a racemic mixture of two stereoisomers with exceptionally high odour value relative to its molecular weight, making it a potent material in both low and moderate dosages.

Historical Background

Herbanate emerged from the fertile research pipeline of Quest International in the mid-1980s.

The earliest traceable documentation is a series of proprietary toxicology dossiers submitted by Quest to the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) between 1987 and 1991, covering skin-sensitisation, ecotoxicity and sub-acute oral studies (RIFM, 1987-1991).

These reports confirm both the authorship of Quest chemists and the material’s working name Herbanate—the ethyl ester analogue of the bicyclic “chrysanthal” skeleton—well before it reached commercial perfumery.

Throughout the 1990s the molecule remained something of an insider’s secret.

Arcadi Boix Camps, writing in Perfumer & Flavorist (1999), described Herbanate as “absent from most creative laboratories” yet lauded its herbal-fruity warmth and potential in spicy accords, noting its starring role in proprietary bases such as “pineapple” and “hervasate” (Boix Camps, 1999).

This commentary captures the material’s cult status among experimental perfumers—even as broader industry adoption lagged.

A pivotal corporate realignment occurred when Givaudan announced the acquisition of Quest International on 22 November 2006, integrating Quest’s specialty aroma chemicals—including Herbanate—into Givaudan’s global portfolio (Givaudan, 2006).

Post-acquisition, Givaudan continued sponsoring additional RIFM studies (1995 – 2008) and registered new safety data under its own name, signalling a commitment to keep the ingredient available for fine-fragrance and functional applications (RIFM, 1995-2008). (RIFM fragrance ingredient safety assessment, (2-endo,3-exo)-ethyl 3-(1-methylethyl)bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylate, CAS registry number 116044-44-1)

Regulatory visibility followed.

A comprehensive RIFM Expert Panel safety assessment was published in Food & Chemical Toxicology in 2021, concluding that Herbanate is safe under current use conditions (Api et al., 2021).

Building on those data, IFRA introduced a dedicated Restriction Standard in Amendment 51 (2023)—its first formal limit for the material—thereby codifying maximum concentration levels across 12 product categories while recognising the underpinning RIFM dossier (IFRA, 2023).

From a little-known Quest innovation to a fully regulated Givaudan specialty, Herbanate’s trajectory illustrates how corporate consolidation, rigorous safety science and niche perfumery enthusiasm collectively shape the lifespan of modern aroma chemicals.

Olfactory Profile and Perfumery Performance

Herbanate belongs to the fruity-green and herbal-fresh olfactory family. It exhibits a distinctive scent profile featuring ripe banana, pineapple, and blackcurrant bud top-notes, complemented by crisp green basil and a delicate warm-spice nuance reminiscent of estragole (Givaudan, n.d.). Its sensory richness and clarity make it a valuable material for bringing lifelike juiciness and brightness to both fine and functional formulations.

Scent characteristics:

• Odour type: Fruity-green, herbal-spicy

• Impact: High odour value (OAV); trace levels are detectable over multiple days on blotter

• Volatility: Moderate (boiling point ~217 °C), allowing for effective top-note performance with good tenacity

• Fixative role: Enhances the radiance of volatile esters, with mild anchoring of fresh accords

Applications in fine fragrance:

• Accentuates tropical fruit accords such as mango, pineapple, and passionfruit

• Adds vibrancy and realism to citrus and apple top notes

• Enhances blackcurrant effects in both fruity-floral and fougère structures

• Pairs effectively with materials like cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate, Allyl Amyl Glycolate, and green-floral aldehydes

• Used in dosage ranges of 0.05%–0.3% in eau de toilette formulas; up to 2% in base concentrates for functional perfumery

Performance in formula:

• Excellent blooming and diffusion in alcohol-based formats

• High stability in alkaline media (e.g., detergents, cleaners)

• Compatible with most solvents and fixatives, non-reactive with common formula carriers

• Remains perceivable without overpowering other green or fruity top notes

Industrial and Technical Uses

Beyond its role in fine perfumery, Herbanate is widely used in fragrance applications where naturalistic freshness and tenacity are desired:

• Fabric care: Adds fruity-green lift to laundry detergents and softeners

• Air care: Contributes to the brightness and longevity of air fresheners and aerosols

• Surface care: Effective in multi-purpose and kitchen cleaners with fresh-fruity signatures

• Candles and waxes: Thermal stability makes it suitable for ambient fragrance delivery in heated systems

Its low use-level efficacy and stability across pH and temperature gradients make it especially valuable in functional perfumery, where consistent olfactory expression is critical.

Regulatory and Safety Overview

Herbanate is a restricted material under IFRA Amendment 51 due to its potential for skin sensitisation and aquatic toxicity. Safety assessments conducted by RIFM, reviewed by the Expert Panel and published in Food & Chemical Toxicology, confirmed its safety within authorised usage ranges (Api et al., 2021).

• IFRA classification: Restricted use with category-specific limits (e.g., 0.94% for Category 4 — fabric care; 1.8% for Category 9 — surface cleaner) (IFRA, 2023)

• GHS/CLP:

  • Hazard statements: H317 (May cause allergic skin reaction), H411 (Toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects)

  • Pictograms: GHS07 (Exclamation mark), GHS09 (Environmental hazard)

• EU Cosmetics Regulation: Permitted for use under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, provided IFRA compliance is maintained

• FEMA status: No FEMA number assigned; not approved for use in food or beverages

Herbanate has undergone multiple proprietary safety studies by both Quest International and Givaudan, with no systemic toxicity observed at 100 mg/kg/day in 28-day oral studies (rat) and moderate sensitisation risk under occlusive conditions (RIFM, 1987–2008).

References

• Api, A. M., et al. (2021). RIFM fragrance ingredient safety assessment: (2-endo,3-exo)-ethyl 3-(1-methylethyl)bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylate. Food & Chemical Toxicology, 160, 112624. — https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2021.112624

• Boix Camps, A. (1999). Perfumery: Techniques in evolution IV. Perfumer & Flavorist, 24(1), 17–47.

• European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). (2025). Substance Information: Ethyl isopropyl bicycloheptene-2-carboxylate. Retrieved April 29, 2025, from https://echa.europa.eu/

• Givaudan. (2006). Givaudan to acquire Quest International: Reshaping the flavour & fragrance industry [Investor presentation].

• Givaudan. (n.d.). Herbanate – Internal Fragrance Ingredient Data Sheet. Retrieved April 29, 2025.

• IFRA. (2023). IFRA Standard—Ethyl isopropyl bicycloheptene-2-carboxylate (Amendment 51).

• International Fragrance Association (IFRA). (2023). IFRA Standard – Ethyl isopropyl bicycloheptene-2-carboxylate (Amendment 51). Retrieved from https://ifrafragrance.org

• RIFM. (1987–1991). Unpublished safety dossiers on Herbanate (Report Nos. 46145, 46147, 46148, 46144). Quest International, submitted to the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials.

• RIFM. (1995–2008). Unpublished safety dossiers on Herbanate (e.g., Report Nos. 54222, 54224, 54240). Givaudan, submitted to the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials.

• National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). (2025). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 121232748, Ethyl 3-isopropylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylate. Retrieved April 29, 2025, from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/