 Vanillin
is a pleasant aromatic compound that occurs naturally in vanilla
beans (Vanilla Planifolia)
and other plant material. It is primarily used
as a flavoring additive for food and beverages and as an aromatic
ingredient in candles, air fresheners and perfumes. It is also used
in incense and potpourri. Vanillin is also used in the
preparation of pharmaceutical drugs for Parkinson's disease and
hypertension.
 Vanillin
(for artificial vanilla) can also be produced as a byproduct of the
paper and pulp product industry through the oxidative breakdown of
lignin, a complex polymer, a non-carbohydrate constituent of plant
material.
History note:
The Aztec Indians in Mexico used vanillin as a flavoring
ingredient, particularly as an accent in chocolate beverages.
The Spanish Explorer Hernando
Cortez introduced Europe to
Vanillin in the early 1500s. Vanilla became popular as a flavoring
ingredient among the aristocracy and particularly in the court of
Queen Elizabeth.
Chemical note: The chemical name for
vanillin is 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde and the formula is
C8H8O8. The vanillin compound has a molecular weight of 152.15.
Interesting note: Vanillin is produced
naturally by the thermal decomposition of lignin. But, it
diminishes and disappears with time. The kinetics constants for
calculating the loss of vanillin from lignin are E = 29.6 kcal/mole
and Z = 3.7 X 10exp11/second.
For instance, the linen wrappings of the Dead Sea
Scrolls do not test positive for vanillin but newer linen,
including medieval linen, do contain it. Of particular interest,
the Shroud of Turin does not test positive for vanillin except in
one particular place, the place from which the carbon 14 sample
were taken in 1988 for radiocarbon dating.
Quantitative counts of lignin residues show large
differences between the carbon 14 sampling areas and the rest of
the Shroud. Where there is lignin, in the sample area, it tests
positive for vanillin. Other medieval cloths, where lignin is
found, also test positive. But the main body of the Shroud, with
significant lignin at the fiber growth nodes, does not have
vanillin. This fact, alone, completely challenges the validity of
the carbon 14 test. For more about this, see
Vanillin and the Shroud.
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