Menthol vs Camphor: what is the difference?
Menthol activates the cold receptor TRPM8, while camphor works on several TRP channels including warm ones, and camphor is far more toxic if swallowed.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedMoleculeFinder rule (RDKit MCS)Drawn the same way round on the skeleton they share. Aligned; 8 atoms differ, too many to mark as one group.
Side by side
| Menthol | Camphor | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 156.26 g/molC10H20O | 152.23 g/molC10H16O |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 1 | 0 |
| Where each turns upEditorial MoleculeFinder food and product lists |
| Not on our lists |
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Terpenoids | Terpenoids |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Food & flavor | Scent & aroma |
| Chemical groupsCalculated Found by rule (RDKit) | Alcohols | Ketones |
| Hazard labelReported ECHA via PubChem; ECHA, HSDB via PubChem | Warning | Danger |
| The supplier-filed hazard label's signal word, not a statement about ordinary use. | ||
| Oral LD50Measured HSDB via PubChem | 3,300 mg/kgpure menthol, rat, oral | 1,310 mg/kgpure camphor, mouse, oral |
| A single acute animal measure, here in two different species. It ranks nothing about human safety. | ||
Sources and notes
- Molecular weightcomputedPubChemComputed from the structure; the formula is under each weight.
- Hydrogen-bond donorscomputedPubChemThe hydrogens on nitrogen or oxygen that each molecule can lend to a hydrogen bond, counted from its structure.
- Where each turns upfrom sourceMoleculeFinder food and product listsEach amount is an editorial figure from our lists, not a measurement of any one product. Each mark is set by hand on the list, never inferred.
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Chemical groupscomputedFound by rule (RDKit)Each group is found in the structure by a chemical pattern.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA via PubChem; ECHA, HSDB via PubChem
- Oral LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChem
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 16666 (Menthol) and 2537 (Camphor).
In more detail
Both are terpenoids that produce a sensation the body reads as temperature, and they trip different receptors. Menthol activates TRPM8, the cold receptor, which is why it feels cool without lowering any temperature, and it is the reason peppermint and menthol cigarettes feel the way they do. Camphor is less selective, working on several TRP channels including the warm ones, which is why it reads as both cooling and warming and why it appears in chest rubs alongside menthol rather than instead of it. Camphor is the more toxic of the two by a wide margin and is dangerous to children if swallowed, which is why its concentration in consumer products is capped in many countries. Menthol comes from mint, camphor from the camphor laurel or from synthesis.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Menthol and Camphor?
- Menthol activates the cold receptor TRPM8, while camphor works on several TRP channels including warm ones, and camphor is far more toxic if swallowed.
- Is Menthol bigger than Camphor?
- Menthol is the heavier molecule, 156.26 g/mol against 152.23 g/mol for Camphor. Menthol is C10H20O and Camphor is C10H16O.
- Which has the lower reported LD50, Menthol or Camphor?
- Camphor, at 1,310 mg/kg (oral, mouse), against 3,300 mg/kg (oral, rat) for Menthol. An LD50 is one acute animal measurement, and the two here were not necessarily measured in the same species, so it is a data point rather than a ranking of how dangerous either is to a person.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.