American Wormseed Oil

#### Wormseed Oil (American). The so-called "American" **Wormseed Oil **is steam distilled from the dried herb of mature **Chenopodium**** ****Ambrosioides**, *varietas** *Anthelminthicum plants. The plant grows wild in the eastern and southeastern United states of America and in India (Bangalore and Mysore), Hungary and the U.S.S.R. (see also the monograph on **Chenopodium Ambrosioides**, under which the Brazilian variety is discussed). American wormseed oil is distilled almost exclusively in the states of Maryland and Ohio. The oil is produced for its anthelminthic (worm- exterminating) effect in human and veterinary medicine, and it is quite hazardous if used without the directions from a physician. For these reasons, the oil should never be used in flavor work, and it can easily be avoided in perfume formulation. The author wants to mention the existence of this oil briefly since he has occasionally noted its use in various perfume compounds during the past 20 years. Isolated cases of confusion with Wormwood Oil (see following monograph) can only encourage to more caution and to a total ban of wormseed oil from use in perfumes and flavors. **Wormseed**** ****Oil,**** **American, is a pale yellow or almost colorless, somewhat viscous liquid with a heavy, unpleasant, nauseating odor, a sharp, camphoraceous topnote and a woody-sweet undertone. The odor faintly recalls that of savin oil. While the Russian **Wormseed Oil **(derived from **Artemisia Cina**) contains **Cineole**** **("eucalyptol") as its main constituent, the principal and active ingredient in "American" wormseed oil is **Ascaridol**, another terpene oxide, chemically related to cineole. American wormseed oil is used for its content of ascaridole. The annual production of this oil is in the order of magnitude of 50 metric tons. It should be noted that ascaridole, like certain terpene peroxides, may explode under dry distillation if the temperature exceeds 125°C*. *In the presence of acids, the ascaridole is liable to explode without heating. Wormseed oil (American) is in many respects a very hazardous oil.