Pseudo-dog smell composition

Abstract

To provide a pseudo-dog smell composition which generates a smell similar to a dog smell generated when a dog is kept indoors, for example.SOLUTION: A pseudo-dog smell composition according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: one or more aliphatic saturated hydrocarbons having a carbon number in a range of 8 or more and 20 or less; one or more aliphatic aldehydes having a carbon number in a range of 6 or more and 18 or less; one or more aliphatic monocarboxylic acids having a carbon number in a range of 3 or more and 9 or less; and one or more heterocyclic amines selected from pyrrolines, pyridines, and pyrazines which are optionally substituted with a lower alkyl group or acetyl group.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dog-simulating odor composition. [Background technology]

[0002] The pet market has been steadily expanding in recent years, with the number of dogs and cats being kept as pets increasing. Keeping dogs and cats indoors is becoming more common, with recent surveys reporting that nearly 90% of pets are kept indoors. In particular, the rate of dogs being kept indoors is increasing year by year. For this reason, it is expected that product development will progress with consideration given to homes where dogs live. One such product development is aimed at reducing dog odors that occur indoors.

[0003] When developing deodorizing products such as deodorizers for pet odors, actual odor-causing substances or substances to be deodorized (hereinafter referred to as "smelly substances") are sometimes prepared and their deodorizing effect verified. However, handling smelly substances such as excrement raises hygiene issues, quality standardization issues, and ethical issues. To address these issues, a composition that emits an odor similar to the actual odor emitted by a smelly substance, known as a "pseudo-odor," is prepared, and the deodorizing effect of the product is verified by verifying its deodorizing effect on this pseudo-odor.

[0004] Although various pet odor imitation compositions have been proposed, most of them are intended to mimic the odor of feces and urine. For this reason, most of the pet odor imitation compositions have been developed with the aim of reproducing the odor of feces and urine, and there are few that are specifically designed for dogs, and they are merely general-purpose compositions.

[0005] However, when dogs are kept indoors, the odor they produce comes from a variety of sources, just like humans, including not only the odor emanating from their excrement, but also body odor derived from sweat or sebum produced on the surface of the dog's body, secretions from the anal glands, dirt on the dog's body, the odor of hair that has been contaminated by this body odor or dirt, and bad breath.These odor sources permeate the room, resulting in the perception of a "dog smell."

[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a dog-like odor composition that reproduces this dog odor. Two characteristic components of the composition are listed: acetylpyrazines such as 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline and 2-acetylpyrazine, and fatty acids such as isovaleric acid and butyric acid (see Examples, etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-151327 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In recent years, there has been a need for more specific applications for deodorizing-related products, such as deodorizers for pet odors, and there is a demand for the development of products specialized in deodorizing the dog odor that occurs when dogs are kept indoors. However, there is still little knowledge about dog odors caused by various odor sources, and the odor emitted from the dog-simulating odor composition disclosed in Patent Document 1 is not necessarily sufficient as a simulated odor for verifying the deodorizing effect against such dog odors. Developing a dog-simulating odor composition that is highly reproducible to dog odors can contribute to the effective and efficient provision of better dog deodorizing-related products.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a dog-like odor composition that emits an odor similar to the dog odor that is emitted when a dog is kept indoors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dog-simulating odor composition comprising one or more aliphatic saturated hydrocarbons having a carbon number of 8 to 20, one or more aliphatic aldehydes having a carbon number of 6 to 18, one or more aliphatic monocarboxylic acids having a carbon number of 3 to 9, and one or more heterocyclic amines selected from pyrrolines, pyridines, and pyrazines, which may be substituted with a lower alkyl group or an acetyl group.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dog-simulating odor composition according to the above aspect, which contains at least octanal or nonanal as the aliphatic aldehyde.

[0012] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dog-simulating odor composition according to the above aspect, which contains octanal and nonanal as the aliphatic aldehyde.

[0013] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dog-simulating odor composition according to any of the above aspects, which comprises tridecane as the aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon.

[0014] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dog-simulating odor composition according to any of the above aspects, which contains isovaleric acid as the aliphatic monocarboxylic acid.

[0015] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dog-simulating odor composition according to any of the above aspects, comprising 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline as the heterocyclic amine.

[0016] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dog-simulating odor composition according to any of the above aspects, wherein the amount of the aliphatic aldehyde is in the range of 0.05 to 2.0 parts by mass, the amount of the aliphatic monocarboxylic acid is in the range of 0.10 to 2.0 parts by mass, and the amount of the heterocyclic amine is in the range of 0.005 to 0.30 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon.

[0017] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dog-like odor composition according to any of the above aspects, further comprising linalool, wherein the amount of linalool contained per 100 parts by mass of the aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon is 0.10 parts by mass or less.

[0018] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dog simulating odor composition according to any of the above aspects, which does not contain linalool. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, there is provided a dog-like odor composition that emits an odor similar to the dog odor that occurs when a dog is kept indoors. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The following describes embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments described below are more specific embodiments of any of the above aspects. The following features can be incorporated into each of the above aspects, either singly or in combination.

[0021] The dog-like odor composition according to this embodiment is a prepared composition that reproduces dog odor and is used in place of actual odorous substances when verifying the deodorizing effect against dog odor in the development of products such as deodorants that reduce dog odor. By using the dog-like odor composition in place of actual odorous substances, for example, problems caused by differences in dog odor between individuals can be eliminated, and the deodorizing effect against dog odor can be evaluated without variation. In order to obtain highly accurate and reproducible verification results in this way, and to enable the development of excellent dog odor-reducing products, it is desirable that the dog-like odor composition be as similar to dog odor as possible.

[0022] The dog-like odor composition of this embodiment was developed through evaluation based on the results of sniffing gas chromatography / mass spectrometry (GC / MS) (hereinafter referred to as "sniffing GC / MS") using gas chromatography olfactometry (GC-O). Not all peaks in the chromatogram obtained by GC / MS are odor-detectable, and trace components that are not recorded on the gas chromatogram may have a strong or distinctive odor. The sniffing GC / MS is an analytical method that can comprehensively evaluate information obtained by instrumental analysis using GC / MS and information obtained by human olfaction. As mentioned above, dog odor is a complex, compound odor resulting from various odor sources, including body odor, and also contains odor components with low thresholds. Sniffing GC / MS is suitable as an analytical method for such odorous substances.

[0023] As a result of the above evaluation, the following characteristic components were found to be necessary for obtaining a dog-like odor composition that faithfully reproduces dog odor: aliphatic saturated hydrocarbons having 8 to 20 carbon atoms, aliphatic aldehydes having 6 to 18 carbon atoms, aliphatic monocarboxylic acids having 3 to 9 carbon atoms, and heterocyclic amines selected from pyrrolines, pyridines, and pyrazines, as described below.

[0024] Among these components, the heterocyclic amine is a component that contributes greatly to the dog-like odor when contained in trace amounts in a dog-like odor composition, and Patent Document 1 discloses that by mixing this with a unique odor caused by an aliphatic monocarboxylic acid such as isovaleric acid, a composition that emits an odor relatively similar to dog odor can be obtained. The dog-like odor composition of this embodiment is composed of this two-component system further comprising an aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon and an aliphatic aldehyde. The present inventors have discovered that by further combining these two components, the reproducibility of dog odor is further improved, and a dog-like odor composition that emits an odor very similar to dog odor can be obtained. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0025] <Aliphatic saturated hydrocarbons> The dog-simulating odor composition contains an aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon. The number of carbon atoms contained in the aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon is in the range of 8 to 20, preferably in the range of 10 to 18. The aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon may be linear or branched. Although this aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon does not have a strong odor in itself, it is contained as a base component in the dog-simulating odor composition of this embodiment, and when used in combination with an aliphatic aldehyde, an aliphatic monocarboxylic acid, and a heterocyclic amine, it is possible to provide a dog-simulating odor that is highly reproducible to a dog odor.

[0026] Specific examples of such aliphatic saturated hydrocarbons include undecane, dodecane, tridecane, tetradecane, pentadecane, hexadecane, heptadecane, and octadecane. The dog-like odor composition may contain one or more aliphatic saturated hydrocarbons. In one example of a dog-like odor composition, it is preferable to contain at least tridecane as the aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon.

[0027] <Heterocyclic amines> The dog-simulating odor composition contains a heterocyclic amine. The heterocyclic amine is selected from pyrrolines, pyridines, and pyrazines, and may be substituted with a lower alkyl group or an acetyl group. As described above, the heterocyclic amine is a component that contributes greatly to the dog-simulating odor when contained in trace amounts in the dog-simulating odor composition. Specific examples of such heterocyclic amines include 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, 2-acetylpyridine, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, 2-acetylpyrazine, and 2-acetyl-3-ethylpyrazine.

[0028] The dog-like odor composition may contain one or more heterocyclic amines. In one example of the dog-like odor composition, the heterocyclic amine preferably contains at least 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline or 2-acetylpyrazine, and more preferably at least 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline.

[0029] In the dog-like odor composition, the amount of heterocyclic amine to be blended is preferably within the range of 0.005 to 0.30 parts by mass, and more preferably within the range of 0.008 to 0.20 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of aliphatic saturated hydrocarbons.

[0030] <Aliphatic monocarboxylic acid> The dog-simulating odor composition contains an aliphatic monocarboxylic acid. The aliphatic monocarboxylic acid, together with the heterocyclic amine described above, is one of the important components that characterize the dog-simulating odor. The number of carbon atoms contained in the aliphatic monocarboxylic acid is in the range of 3 to 9, preferably in the range of 4 to 8. The aliphatic group contained in the aliphatic monocarboxylic acid may be linear or branched. Specific examples of such saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons include butyric acid, isovaleric acid, caproic acid, and enanthic acid.

[0031] The dog-like odor composition may contain one aliphatic monocarboxylic acid alone or two or more aliphatic monocarboxylic acids. In one example of a dog-like odor composition, it is preferable to contain at least isovaleric acid as the aliphatic monocarboxylic acid. Isovaleric acid is well known as one of the malodorous substances in the living environment, such as human sweat odor, foot odor, and bad breath, and is easily available and therefore preferable.

[0032] In the dog-simulating odor composition, the amount of aliphatic monocarboxylic acid is preferably within the range of 0.10 to 2.0 parts by mass, and more preferably within the range of 0.30 to 0.80 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of aliphatic saturated hydrocarbons.

[0033] <Aliphatic aldehyde> The dog-like odor composition contains an aliphatic aldehyde. The number of carbon atoms contained in the aliphatic aldehyde is in the range of 6 to 18, preferably 7 to 16. The aliphatic group contained in the aliphatic aldehyde may be linear or branched. The aliphatic aldehyde, together with the above-mentioned saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, contributes to the production of a more highly reproducible dog-like odor compared to dog-like odor compositions that do not adequately reproduce dog odors when, for example, isovaleric acid is used in combination with 2-acetylpyrazine or 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. Specific examples of such aliphatic aldehydes include heptanal, octanal, nonanal, decanal, undecanal, and dodecanal.

[0034] The dog-imitating odor composition may contain one aliphatic aldehyde alone or two or more aliphatic aldehydes. The dog-imitating odor composition preferably contains two or more aliphatic aldehydes. When the dog-imitating odor composition contains two or more aliphatic aldehydes, the similarity to actual dog odor is enhanced. In one example of the dog-imitating odor composition, it is preferable to contain at least octanal or nonanal as the aliphatic aldehyde, and in another example, it is more preferable to contain octanal and nonanal.

[0035] In the dog-simulating odor composition, the amount of aliphatic aldehyde to be blended is preferably within the range of 0.05 to 2.0 parts by mass, and more preferably within the range of 0.10 to 1.0 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of aliphatic saturated hydrocarbons.

[0036] <Linalool> During the development of a dog-like odor composition, linalool was identified from dog-smelling substances using the above-mentioned sniffing GC / MS. The inventors conducted further intensive research to confirm the contribution of linalool to the dog-like odor, and found that the higher the amount of linalool added, the worse the similarity to dog odor. On the other hand, after intensive research on preparing a dog-like odor composition that does not contain linalool, it was found that as long as it contains the above four components, it is possible to obtain a composition that generates a dog-like odor that is highly reproducible to dog odor, even without containing linalool.

[0037] From this point of view, in one embodiment, dog-like odor composition further comprises linalool, and in this case, the blending amount of linalool is preferably 0.10 parts by mass or less relative to 100 parts by mass of saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, more preferably 0.01 parts by mass or less.In addition, the lower limit of the blending amount of linalool can be, for example, 0.0001 parts by mass or more relative to 100 parts by mass of saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons. In another embodiment, the dog simulant odor composition does not contain linalool.

[0038] <Solvent> The dog-like odor composition according to this embodiment may further contain a solvent. The solvent may be any solvent that is highly compatible with the above components and can dissolve them, and is preferably safe for the human body and environmentally friendly. Examples of solvents that can be used include propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, glycerin, diglycerol, and triglycerol.

[0039] The proportion of the solvent in the dog-simulating odor composition according to this embodiment is, for example, preferably in the range of 40 to 95% by mass, and more preferably in the range of 50 to 90% by mass.

[0040] The dog-like odor composition of this embodiment can produce an odor that is highly reproducible and similar to dog odor. This makes it possible to accurately and efficiently conduct sensory evaluations of deodorizing effects in the development of deodorizing products specifically for dogs. Meanwhile, the dog-like odor composition of this embodiment does not contain any components that may be contained in actual odorous substances and that cause allergic reactions in humans or are dangerous. This makes it possible to conduct sensory evaluations of the deodorizing effects safely and with peace of mind. [Example]

[0041] The following describes tests carried out in connection with the present invention.

[0042] (1) Test 1: Dog odor analysis A piece of fabric saturated with dog odor, such as dog body odor, was prepared and cut into a 5 cm x 5 cm test piece. This test piece was placed in a 3 L Tedlar® odor bag, filled with clean air (odorless air), and sealed. This was left to stand at room temperature (20°C) for 6.5 hours. Next, the atmosphere inside the odor bag was sampled with a syringe (Sample A) and analyzed using sniffing GC / MS.

[0043] The analytical equipment used was a Shimadzu GCMS-QP (registered trademark) 2020NX odor-sniffing GC / MS device. The measurement conditions were as follows:

[0044] (GC conditions) Column: GL Sciences InertCap® Pure-WAX (30 m x 0.25 mm x 0.25 μm) Column temperature: After maintaining the initial temperature at 30°C for 2 minutes, the temperature was increased to 240°C at a rate of 10°C / min and maintained at this temperature for 5 minutes. Column pressure: 100kPa Vaporization chamber temperature: 250℃ Carrier gas: He (MS conditions) Ion source temperature: 250℃ Interface temperature: 250℃ Scan MS: 35m / z-450m / z

[0045] From the results of sensory evaluation of multiple samples by sniffing and GC analysis, the retention times of odorous substances detected in common across multiple samples were identified. By comparing each retention time with GC / MS and performing a similarity search to estimate the substance, odor components characteristic of dog odor (sample A) obtained from the above test piece were screened.

[0046] As a result of the screening, tridecane, isovaleric acid, octanal, nonanal, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, and linalool were identified as characteristic odor components of dog odor. The composition (mass ratio) of these odor components is shown in Table 1.

[0047] [Table 1]

[0048] (2) Test 2: Preparation and evaluation of dog-like odor compositions Based on the dog odor analysis results shown in Table 1 obtained in Test 1, several dog-like odor compositions were prepared by dissolving each odor component in propylene glycol as a solvent at different blend ratios. These compositions also include compositions prepared for comparison. Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Example 1 shown in Table 4 below are some of the dog-like odor compositions prepared.

[0049] In Table 4, "%" indicates "% by mass," which means the proportion relative to the total mass of the composition including the solvent propylene glycol. Also, "parts" indicates "parts by mass," which means the proportion of other odorous components relative to 100 parts by mass of tridecane as the blending ratio of the odorous components.

[0050] The dog-like odor compositions were subjected to the following sensory evaluation by 15 evaluators to evaluate their similarity to dog odor. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0051] (sensory evaluation) The 15 evaluators for the sensory evaluation were men and women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who had passed a separate olfactory test. These evaluators had previously agreed on the evaluation criteria, and there was no significant variation in the evaluation results between the evaluators.

[0052] Samples for evaluation were prepared by spraying one shot (approximately 0.5 g) of each dog-like odor composition onto a 5 cm x 5 cm scent paper using a spray bottle, placing the sprayed sample in a 3 L Tedlar (registered trademark) scent bag, filling the bag with clean air (odorless air), sealing the bag, and leaving it to stand at room temperature (20°C) for 6.5 hours.

[0053] The evaluation was conducted using Sample A obtained in Test 1 as a control sample (control odor). 15 evaluators evaluated the degree of similarity between the control odor and the odor of each sample using the five-point scale shown in Table 2, and scores were assigned. As mentioned above, the evaluators had previously agreed on the evaluation criteria, so the scores between the evaluators were similar and there was little variation. The odor similarity of each dog-like odor composition to dog odor was evaluated using the average scores of the 15 evaluators according to the criteria shown in Table 3. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0054] [Table 2]

[0055] [Table 3]

[0056] [Table 4]

[0057] The dog-like odor compositions of Examples 1 and 2 contain isovaleric acid as an aliphatic monocarboxylic acid and 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline as a heterocyclic amine, while the dog-like odor composition of Comparative Example 1 contains isovaleric acid and butyric acid as aliphatic monocarboxylic acids and 2-acetylpyrazine as a heterocyclic amine. On the other hand, the dog-like odor compositions of Examples 1 and 2 differ in that they further contain tridecane as an aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon and octanal as an aliphatic aldehyde, while Comparative Example 1 does not contain these two components. The odors of the former (Examples 1 and 2) were highly similar to dog odor, while the odor of the latter (Comparative Example 1) was insufficiently similar to dog odor. These results demonstrate that aliphatic monocarboxylic acids and heterocyclic amines alone are insufficient to obtain a composition that emits an odor similar to dog odor; it is extremely important to also use an aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon and an aliphatic aldehyde in combination.

[0058] Furthermore, the dog-imitating odor compositions of Examples 3 to 5 differ from the dog-imitating odor compositions of Examples 1 and 2 in that they further contain nonanal as an aliphatic aldehyde. Compared to the former (Examples 1 and 2), the odors of the latter (Examples 3 to 5) were more similar to dog odor. These results demonstrate that in order to obtain a composition that emits an odor very similar to dog odor, it is important to use two or more aliphatic aldehydes in combination rather than using a single type.

[0059] In addition, according to the analysis results of the dog odor (sample A) obtained in Test 1, it was identified that dog odor contains linalool (see Table 1). Although none of the dog-like odor compositions of Examples 1 to 5 contain linalool, it is surprising that the odors emitted from these compositions have a high similarity to dog odor. In addition, although not shown in Table 4, samples were prepared by adding linalool to the dog-like odor compositions of Examples 1 to 5, and sensory evaluation was performed. As the blending ratio of linalool increases, the similarity to dog odor decreases, so it was found that the amount of linalool is important when blending.

[0060] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combining selected elements from the disclosed elements. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some elements are deleted from all elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

Claims

1. one or more aliphatic saturated hydrocarbons having a carbon number of 8 or more and 20 or less; one or more aliphatic aldehydes having 6 to 18 carbon atoms; one or more aliphatic monocarboxylic acids having 3 or more and 9 or less carbon atoms; one or more heterocyclic amines selected from pyrrolines, pyridines and pyrazines, which may be substituted with a lower alkyl group or an acetyl group; A dog-simulating odor composition comprising:

2. The dog simulating odor composition according to claim 1, wherein the aliphatic aldehyde comprises at least octanal or nonanal.

3. 3. The dog simulating odor composition according to claim 2, wherein the aliphatic aldehydes include octanal and nonanal.

4. The dog-simulating odor composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon comprises tridecane.

5. The dog-simulating odor composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the aliphatic monocarboxylic acid comprises isovaleric acid.

6. The dog-simulating odor composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heterocyclic amine is 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline.

7. Relative to 100 parts by mass of the aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon, The amount of the aliphatic aldehyde is in the range of 0.05 to 2.0 parts by mass, the amount of the aliphatic monocarboxylic acid is in the range of 0.10 to 2.0 parts by mass, The dog-simulating odor composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the amount of the heterocyclic amine is in the range of 0.005 to 0.30 parts by mass.

8. A dog-like odor composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising linalool, wherein the amount of linalool contained per 100 parts by mass of the aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon is 0.10 parts by mass or less.

9. The dog-simulating odor composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which does not contain linalool.

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