In short
Dimethyl anthranilate, methyl N-methylanthranilate, is the characteristic constituent of mandarin petitgrain oil. It has a sweet mandarin, grape and orange-blossom odour.
What Dimethyl Anthranilate smells like
Dimethyl anthranilate (methyl N-methylanthranilate) is a delicate mandarin material. It is described as an orange and mandarin peel-like odour with a musty, grape-like flavour, more berry-like than grape; Givaudan gives orange flower, mandarin and neroli. It is the main component of mandarin-leaf petitgrain oil and a characteristic trace constituent of mandarin oil. Unlike methyl anthranilate, it does not discolour or form Schiff bases with aldehydes.
- Leading note
- Mandarin peel
- Supporting facets
- Orange flower, musty grape
- Faint facets
- Berry
- Character
- Soft, sweet, delicate
What makes Dimethyl Anthranilate distinctive
It is the note that makes mandarin smell like mandarin rather than orange — softer and more citrus than methyl anthranilate, which is grape and orange blossom.
How Dimethyl Anthranilate is used
Used in mandarin and tangerine accords, orange-flower and neroli compositions, and fruit flavours; its stability with aldehydes is an advantage over methyl anthranilate.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Dimethyl Anthranilate differs from similar materials
- Mandarin Oil
- It is one of mandarin oil's characteristic trace constituents; the oil adds limonene's juicy citrus to its soft mandarin note.
- Methyl Anthranilate
- Methyl anthranilate is grape and orange blossom, and discolours with aldehydes; dimethyl anthranilate is softer, more mandarin-citrus and stable.
Each difference compares the published descriptions of the two materials. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
Covered by an IFRA Standard and, like methyl anthranilate, forms Schiff bases with aldehydes. Check the Standard before use.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Citrus / Floral
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- Methyl N-methylanthranilate, Methyl 2-(methylamino)benzoate
- CAS number
- 85-91-6
- Molecular formula
- C9H11NO2
- Molecular weight
- 165.19 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- methyl 2-(methylamino)benzoate
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 6826, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 October 2026.
Safety and compliance
The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering Dimethyl Anthranilate:
- "Methyl N-methylanthranilate" — type not stated in the library listing, 51st Amendment, published 2023-06
Limits differ by product category and are set out in the Standard itself; this page does not reproduce them. The list above reflects the library as read on 19 October 2026.
Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory report it as not meeting the GHS hazard criteria (1,633 of 1,738 reports). Unless it is harmonised, this is the notifiers' own classification, not a binding one.
This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.
Materials it works with
-
Methyl Anthranilate
Aroma chemical · Floral / Fruity — orange blossom, grape, sweet, floral
-
Mandarin Oil
Essential oil · Citrus / Fruity — citrus, sweet, juicy, tangerine
-
Petitgrain Bigarade Oil
Essential oil · Citrus / Floral — green, citrus, floral, bitter
-
Neroli Oil
Essential oil · Floral / Citrus — floral, citrus, orange blossom, honeyed
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 2 published formulas
Dimethyl Anthranilate is an ingredient in 2 perfume formulas in the Formula & Accord Library.
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Dimethyl Anthranilate
Is Dimethyl Anthranilate natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Dimethyl Anthranilate may be made by synthesis or obtained from natural sources, so check the supplier's specification if the distinction matters to you.
What is the CAS number of Dimethyl Anthranilate?
85-91-6. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Dimethyl Anthranilate?
Dimethyl Anthranilate is used in 2 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Champagne Static and Mandarin Tiles. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Is Dimethyl Anthranilate covered by an IFRA Standard?
Yes. The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering it: "Methyl N-methylanthranilate" — type not stated in the library listing, 51st Amendment. The limits depend on the product category; read the Standard itself before formulating.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 6826, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- IFRA — Standards Library, read 19 October 2026.
- ChemicalBook — methyl N-methylanthranilate (CAS 85-91-6) — odour database.
- Perflavory (The Good Scents Company) — dimethyl anthranilate (with Givaudan's description) — odour database.
- Fraterworks — dimethyl anthranilate (natural) — distributor's description.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 20 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.