| Description | Ethyl acetate, also known as 1-acetoxyethane or acetic ester, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as carboxylic acid esters. These are carboxylic acid derivatives in which the carbon atom from the carbonyl group is attached to an alkyl or an aryl moiety through an oxygen atom (forming an ester group). Ethyl acetate exists in all eukaryotes, ranging from yeast to humans. Ethyl acetate is a sweet, anise, and balsam tasting compound. Ethyl acetate is found, on average, in the highest concentration within a few different foods, such as milk (cow), pineapples, and sweet oranges and in a lower concentration in safflowers. Ethyl acetate has also been detected, but not quantified, in several different foods, such as alcoholic beverages, oxheart cabbages, agaves, chervils, ryes, and peach. It is used in artificial fruit essences. In the field of entomology, ethyl acetate is an effective asphyxiant for use in insect collecting and study. Because it is not hygroscopic, ethyl acetate also keeps the insect soft enough to allow proper mounting suitable for a collection. In a killing jar charged with ethyl acetate, the vapors will kill the collected (usually adult) insect quickly without destroying it. In organic and in natural products chemistry ethyl acetate is often used as a solvent for reactions or extractions. Ethyl acetate is a potentially toxic compound. Ethyl acetate, with regard to humans, has been found to be associated with several diseases such as perillyl alcohol administration for cancer treatment, crohn's disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified; ethyl acetate has also been linked to the inborn metabolic disorder celiac disease. |
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