When sperm whales expel dark and foul-smelling masses in the deep sea, few could have imagined how these "marine debris" would undergo such a magnificent transformation - after decades of washing by waves and carving by sunlight, they transformed into gray and white rich treasures. Ambergris, mysteriously dubbed "Tears of Amber" by Arab sailors, topped the spice pantheon at 30 times the value of gold. And the chemical code for all these transformations lies in the molecular alchemy of its core component (Ambroxide)...
The word ambergris comes from the Arabic word "ambar" and the Old French word "ambre gris". Ambergris was used in ancient times. It was mainly used as medicine and incense, but only in modern times was it used to make essence. There is still controversy about the exact origin of ambergris. The widely accepted view is that ambergris is a pathological stone formed by incompletely digested food (especially squid) in the body of sperm whales. After encountering irritating foreign objects (such as the beak bones of squid and octopus), the sperm whale's digestive tract was damaged, forming multiple abscesses. Once the abscess ruptured, the oil and secretions in the whale's intestines would wrap the foreign objects. After the erosion of biological acids and the decomposition of other organic matter by microorganisms, the foreign objects are excreted from the body through the digestive system or vomiting, and the released substances are what we call ambergris stones. These lumps or stones float on the sea because they are lighter than seawater. Their weight ranges from a few kilograms to hundreds of kilograms. These lumps or stones encounter salt and alkali in the ocean and naturally saponify to eventually form ambergris.
The ambergris just discharged from the intestines of sperm whales is black and emits an unpleasant smell of feces. But after being exposed to seawater and dried in the air, the surface turns gray, then gradually turns to light gray and white, and the stench is gradually replaced by fragrance. Among them, white ambergris has the best quality. It must be soaked in seawater for more than a hundred years to float out all the impurities before it can become the best ambergris.
The reason for the change from whale waste to fixative is ambrein, the main component of ambergris. Ambrein itself has no fragrance, but after being processed by oxidation, photodegradation, and other means, it will produce Ambroxide. Ambroxide is the source of the fragrance of ambergris.
Xi'an App-Chem Bio (Tech) Co., Ltd. (Hereinafter referred to as APPCHEM) relies on Shaanxi and Xinjiang clary sage planting bases to achieve closed-loop production of the entire industry chain. The advantageous products are shown in the table below:
| Product | Specification (Purity) | Application |
| Sclareol | GC95%-GC98% | Precursors for the synthesis of Ambroxide |
| Sclareolide | GC95%-GC98% | Tobacco flavor enhancers, Flavoring |
| Ambroxide | GC99% | Luxury perfume, functional cosmetics |
APPCHEM provides a stable and reliable supply chain for global customers. If you have any related needs, please feel free to contact us. (email: sales@appchem.cn)