Question

The oil of wintergreen is:
A.Ethyl salicylate
B.Methyl salicylate
C.Benzaldehyde
D.Phenyl salicylate

Answer 1

Hint: Oil of wintergreen or wintergreen oil is an organic compound with the formula ${{\text{C}}_{\text{6}}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{4}}}\left( {{\text{OH}}} \right)\left( {{\text{C}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{C}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{3}}}} \right)$ . The oil of wintergreen is an ester of salicylic acid and methanol.

Complete step by step answer:
The structure of the oil of wintergreen or wintergreen oil is shown below.

From the structure, it can be understood that the oil of wintergreen is a methyl ester of salicylic acid.
The oil of wintergreen is a colorless and viscous liquid. It has a sweet and fruity odor which bears a resemblance to root beer. It is often used in mint candies and hence also associatively named as ‘minty’.
The oil of wintergreen is produced by many types of plant species, but most specially it is produced by the wintergreen plants and hence the name.
The methyl salicylate or oil of wintergreen was first isolated from the plant American wintergreen by the French chemist Auguste Andre Thomas Cahours.
The biosynthesis of methyl salicylate or the oil of wintergreen takes place through the process of hydroxylation of benzoic acid by a cytochrome P – 450. This is followed by the methylation by a methylase enzyme.
Commercially, methyl salicylate is produced by the esterification of salicylic acid with methanol.
The production of methyl salicylate by plants is probably as an anti-herbivore defense because if the plant gets infected with herbivorous insects, then the release of this methyl salicylate helps the beneficial insects in killing the herbivorous insects.
Thus, oil of wintergreen is methyl salicylate.

Hence the correct option is B.

Note:
Methyl salicylate in high concentrations is used as an analgesic to treat joint and muscular pain.
In low concentrations, it is used as a flavouring agent in chewing gums and mints.
It is also used as an antiseptic in some mouthwashes.