2-methylbutyric acid is a methylbutyric acid comprising a butyric acid core carrying a 2-methyl substituent.
How much products actually contain
No product states its amount yet.
Of the products containing it, 2 list it before the 1% line and 0 after it (usually 1% or less).
Products using this ingredient
2 of 2 confirmed · likeliest to carry enough first
Definition
2-methylbutyric acid is a methylbutyric acid comprising a butyric acid core carrying a 2-methyl substituent. Produced from amino acid leucine during nutrient starvation in bacteria. It has a role as a bacterial metabolite and a human metabolite. It is a conjugate acid of a 2-methylbutyrate.
Source: PubChem
US FDA substance register · UNII PX7ZNN5GXK · registered name 2-METHYLBUTYRIC ACID · single chemical substance
Cosmetic roles
Safety & regulatory references
Not classified under Korea’s toxic-substance GHS list · existing chemical substance
More data — names, identifiers, properties, test records, literature
Names & identifiers
- CAS No.chemical registry number
- 116-53-0
- EC No.EU chemical inventory number
- 204-145-2
- DTXSIDUS EPA chemical ID
- DTXSID5021621
- DTXCIDUS EPA compound ID
- DTXCID301621
- IUPAC
- 2-Methylbutanoic acid
- Molecular formula
- C5H10O2
- Molecular weight
- 102.133 g/mol
Measured properties
- Appearance
- Liquid · Solid
- Boiling point
- 176.00 to 177.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg · 176 °C
- Solubility
- 45 mg/mL at 20 °C · 1 ml in 1 ml 95% alcohol (in ethanol)
- Density
- 0.932-0.936
- Colour
- colourless
- Initial boiling point and range
- 177 ℃
- Flash point
- 74 ℃
- Vapour pressure
- 0.491 ㎜Hg (25 deg c)
- Water solubility
- 45000 ㎎/ℓ (20 deg c)
- Relative density
- 0.936
- n-Octanol/water partition coefficient (Kow)
- 1.18
Values measured on the substance itself. The KOSHA data are a reference for writing and reviewing safety data sheets, not a specification for a commercial raw material.
Source: PubChem · KOSHA safety data sheets (Korea)
What products actually use it for
What the 14 products reported to the US EPA with this ingredient use it for. Products outside cosmetics are included, so the top few rows are its main uses.
- Fragrance10
- Flavouring and nutrient2
- Dispersing agent1
- Intermediate1
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Irritation and sensitisation studies
2 skin studies and 1 eye studies are on record.
The study conclusions largely agree (100%). These tests are on the raw material itself; irritation at the amount in a finished product is a different question.
See all 3 studies
- Corrosive
skin irritation: in vivo · Screening · OECD Guideline 404 (Acute Dermal Irritation / Corrosion) equivalent or similar to - Category 8.2C (Category 1C)
Skin Irritation · Read Across - Category 8.3A (Category 1)
Eye Irritation · Read Across
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Related literature
- [Clinical characteristics analysis of mitochondrial short-chain enoyl-CoA hydratase 1 deficiency with ECHS1 gene c.489G>A compound heterozygous variants]. · 2025 · Zhonghua er ke za zhi = Chinese journal of pediatrics
- RIFM fragrance ingredient safety assessment, 2-methylbutyric acid, CAS Registry Number 116-53-0. · 2019 · Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
Linked databases 16
- Australian Industrial Chemicals Inventory (AICIS)
- ChEBI
- ChEMBL
- EU CosIng ingredient list 2
- Korea toxic substances GHS register (NIER)
- KOSHA safety data sheets (Korea)
- NIST Chemistry WebBook
- PubChem 2
- PubMed 2
- UniChem cross-reference IDs
- US EPA CompTox dashboard 2
- US EPA DSSTox chemical database
- US FDA substance registration (GSRS)
- US FDA Unique Ingredient Identifier (UNII)
- Wikidata
- Wikipedia · English · Chinese