Salicin	Last updated: 14/02/2026
(Also known as: salicoside; salicyl alcohol glucoside; D-(−)-salicin)

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Hazard alerts

The following Pesticide Hazard Tricolour (PHT) alerts are based on the data in the tables below. An absence of an alert does not imply the substance has no implications for human health, biodiversity or the environment but just that we do not have the data to form a judgement. The alerts for Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) are based on applying the FAO/WHO (Type 1) and the PAN (Type II) criteria to PPDB data. Further details on the HHP indicators are given in the tables below. Neither the PHT nor the HHP hazard alerts take account of usage patterns or exposure, thus they do not represent risk.

PHT: Environmental fate	PHT: Ecotoxicity	PHT: Human health	Highly Hazardous Pesticide
		Human health Low alert

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description	A simple plant molecule found in various temperate woody aromatic plants and which is bioactive after hydrolysis to salicyl alcohol
Example pests controlled	Mammals; Fungal infections; Plant stress
Example applications	Deer and other herbivores; Fruits
Efficacy & activity	-
Appearance and life cycle	-
Taxonomic classification	-

GB regulatory status

GB COPR regulatory status	Not approved
Date COPR inclusion expires	Not applicable
GB LERAP status	No GB approval to use as a crop protection agent

EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414)

EC Regulation 1107/2009 status	Not approved
Dossier rapporteur/co-rapporteur	Not applicable
Date EC 1107/2009 inclusion expires	Not applicable
EU Candidate for substitution (CfS)	Not applicable
Listed in EU database	No
Approved for use (✓) under EC 1107/2009 in the following EU Member States	ATAustria BEBelgium BGBulgaria CYCyprus CZCzech Republic DEGermany DKDenmark EEEstonia ELGreece                   ESSpain FIFinland FRFrance HRCroatia HUHungary IEIreland ITItaly LTLithuania LULuxembourg                   LVLatvia MTMalta NLNetherlands PLPoland PTPortugal RORomania SESweden SISlovenia SKSlovakia
Approved for use (✓) under EC 1107/2009 by Mutual Recognition of Authorisation and/or national regulations in the following EEA countries	ISIceland NONorway

Additional information

Known to be also used in the following countries	-

Chemical structure

Isomerism	Salicin is a single, well defined compound, but there are structural isomers and stereoisomers of salicin within the broader class of phenolic beta-D-glucosides. There are glycosidic linkage isomers: 2-hydroxybenzyl beta-D-glucoside (salicin itself), 3-hydroxybenzyl beta-D-glucoside and 4-hydroxybenzyl beta-D-glucoside. These share the same molecular formula but differ in connectivity. In addition the glucose moiety can theoretically exist as both beta-D-glucoside (the natural form, salicin) and alpha-D-glucoside (an anomeric isomer). If the sugar were changed (e.g., L glucose instead of D glucose), various diastereomeric glycosides with the same aglycone could be formed. Isomers are also theoretically possible within the salicyl alcohol moiety: o hydroxybenzyl alcohol (salicin’s aglycone), m hydroxybenzyl alcohol and p hydroxybenzyl alcohol. Glycosylation of these yields additional structural isomers.
Chemical formula	C₁₃H₁₈O₇
Canonical SMILES	C1=CC=C(C(=C1)CO)O[C@H]2[C@@H]([C@H]([C@@H]([C@H](O2)CO)O)O)O
Isomeric SMILES	-
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)	NGFMICBWJRZIBI-UJPOAAIJSA-N
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)	InChI=1S/C13H18O7/c14-5-7-3-1-2-4-8(7)19-13-12(18)11(17)10(16)9(6-15)20-13/h1-4,9-18H,5-6H2/t9-,10-,11+,12-,13-/m1/s1
2D structure diagram/image available?	Yes

General status

Biopesticide type		Repellent; Fungicide; Other substance
Other bioactivity & uses		Pharmaceutical
Substance groups		Plant-derived substance; Phenolic glycoside
Minimum active substance purity		-
Known relevant impurities		-
Substance origin		Natural
Mode of action		Many herbivores detect salicylates as defensive compounds and avoid tissues rich in them. Taste receptor type 2 member 16, Agonist.
Substance source		Found in various temperate woody aromatic plants
Uses		Anmal repellent; Crop protection
Target pests		Mammals; Fungal infections; Plant stress
Target host		Deer and other herbivores; Fruits
Farming system suitability		-
CAS RN		138-52-3
EC number		205-331-6
CIPAC number		-
US EPA chemical code		-
PubChem CID		439503
Molecular mass		286.28
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)		-
IUPAC name		(2R,3S,4S,5R,6S)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[2-(hydroxymethyl)phenoxy]oxane-3,4,5-triol
CAS name		-
Global Governance status: Listed (✓) under		UK Poisons List Order 1972 Rotterdam Convention Montreal Protocol XNo The Poisons List Order 1972 XNo Rotterdam Convention XNo Montreal Protocol Stockholm Convention OSPAR EU Water Framework Directive XNo Stockholm Convention XNo OSPAR XNo EU Water Framework Directive
Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards		-
Forever chemical		-
Highly Hazardous Pesticide (HHP)	Type I	-
	Type II	-
Other status information		-
Herbicide Resistance Class (HRAC MoA class)		Not applicable
Herbicide Resistance Class (WSSA MoA class)		Not applicable
Insecticide Resistance Class (IRAC MoA class)		Not applicable
Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)		Not applicable
Examples of recorded resistance		-
Physical state		White crystlline substance
Related substances & organisms		Salix spp.cortex

Commercial

Property	Value
Availability status	Novel as biopesticide
Introduction & key dates	1828, first isolated from willow bark
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically	-
Example products using this active	-
Formulation and application details	-
Commercial production	The classical synthesis of salicin involves the Koenigs-Knorr reaction between acetobromoglucose and salicyl alcohol. This method employs silver carbonate as an acid scavenger and proceeds with 45-50% yield. Modern improvements utilise phase-transfer catalysis with tetrabutylammonium bromide in dichloromethane-water systems, achieving yields of 68-72%. The reaction requires careful control of temperature between 0DegC and 5DegC to minimise anomerisation. Commercial production of salicin primarily utilises extraction from willow bark (Salix alba and related species). The extraction process employs hot water or ethanol-water mixtures followed by chromatographic purification.
Impact on climate of production and use	-

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C at pH 7 (mg l⁻¹)		43000	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	High
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Melting point (°C)		196	E3 E = Manufacturers safety data sheets 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Boiling point (°C)		390	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	-
Degradation point (°C)		-	-	-
Flashpoint (°C)		-	-	-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C	P	6.03 X 10-02	Calculated	-
	Log P	-1.22	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Low
Fat solubility of residues	Solubility	-	-	-
	Data type	-	-	-
Density (g ml⁻¹)		1.434	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C		-	-	-
		-
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)		-	-	-
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)		-	-	-
Volatilisation as max % of applied dose lost	From plant surface	-	-	-
	From soil surface	-	-	-
Maximum UV-vis absorption L mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹		-	-	-
Surface tension (mN m⁻¹)		-	-	-

Degradation

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
General biodegradability		-
Soil degradation (days) (aerobic)	DT₅₀ (typical)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ modelling endpoint	-	-	-
	Note	-
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on plant matrix	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on and in plant matrix	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Aqueous photolysis DT₅₀ (days) at pH 7	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Water-sediment DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Water phase only DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Sediment phase only DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Air degradation		As this parameter is not normally measured directly, a surrogate measure is used: ‘Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀’. Where data is available, this can be found in the Fate Indices section below.
Decay in stored produce DT₅₀		-

Soil adsorption and mobility

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Linear	Kd (mL g⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Koc (mL g⁻¹)	-
	Notes and range	-
Freundlich	Kf (mL g⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Kfoc (mL g⁻¹)	-
	1/n	-
	Notes and range	-
pH sensitivity		-

Known metabolites

None

ECOTOXICOLOGY

Terrestrial ecotoxicology

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mammals - Short Term Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mammals - Long Term (Chronic) Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Birds - Short term dietary LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Birds - Chronic 21d NOEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Earthworms - Acute 14 day LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ dw soil)		-	-	-
Earthworms - Chronic NOEC, reproduction (mg kg⁻¹ dw soil)		-	-	-
Soil micro-organisms		-	-	-
Collembola	Acute LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Chronic NOEC (mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
Non-target plants	Vegetative vigour ER₅₀ (g ha⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Seedling emergence ER₅₀ (g ha⁻¹)	-	-	-
Honeybees (Apis spp.)	Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Unknown mode acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Chronic	-	-	-
	Notes	-
Bumblebees (Bombus spp.)	Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
		-
	Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
		-
Mason bees (Osmia spp.)	Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
Other bee species (1)	Acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Mode of exposure	-
Other bee species (2)	Acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Mode of exposure	-
Beneficial insects (Ladybirds)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Lacewings)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Parasitic wasps)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Predatory mites)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Ground beetles)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Butterflies)	Contact	-	-	-
	Notes	-
	Oral	-	-	-
	Notes	-

Aquatic ecotoxicology

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Tropical Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Tropical Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Aquatic crustaceans - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Sediment dwelling organisms - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Sediment dwelling organisms - Chronic 28 day NOEC, static, water (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Sediment dwelling organisms - Chronic 28 day NOEC, sediment (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Aquatic Plants (free-floating, fonds growth, fresh) - 7 day (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Aquatic plants (rooted, growth rate, fresh) - 14 day (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Acute (growth rate, fresh; mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Chronic (growth rate, fresh; mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mesocosm study data	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
Marine bivalves		-	-	-

Regulatory Threshold Levels (RTLs) used to calculate Total Applied Toxicity (TAT)

Species group	RTL	Notes
Mammals	No data	No data for acute and chronic mammals
Birds	No data	No data for acute and chronic birds
Soil organisms	No data	No data for acute and chronic earthworms
Terrestrial plants	No data	No data for non-target plants vegetative vigour and seedling emergence
Pollinators	No data	No data for contact and oral honeybees
Arthropods	No data	No data for parasitic wasps and predatory mites
Fish	No data	No data for temperate acute and chronic fish
Aquatic invertebrates	No data	No data for temperate acute and chronic aquatic invertebrates
Aquatic plants	No data	No data for free-floating plants, rooted plants, acute and chronic algae

HUMAN HEALTH AND PROTECTION

General

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Threshold of Toxicological Concern (Cramer Class)		-	-	-
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mammals - Short Term Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mammals - Long Term (Chronic) Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)		-	-	-
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Other Mammal toxicity endpoints		-	-	-
ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		-	-	-
ARfD - Acute Reference Dose (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		-	-	-
AAOEL - Acute Acceptable Operator Exposure Level (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		-	-	-
AOEL - Acceptable Operator Exposure Level - Systemic (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		-	-	-
Dermal penetration studies (%)		-	-	-
Dangerous Substances Directive 76/464		-	-	-
Exposure Routes	Public	-
	Occupational	-
Mammalian dose elimination route and rate		-	-	-

Health issues

Specific human health issues (hazard-based)		Carcinogen Genotoxic Endocrine disruptor XNo, known not to cause a problem A0 A = Chromosome aberration (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; B0 B = DNA damage/repair (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; C0 C = Gene mutation (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; D0 D = Genome mutation (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; E3 E = Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 3 = Negative XNo, known not to cause a problem Reproduction / development effects Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor Neurotoxicant XNo, known not to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem Respiratory tract irritant Skin irritant Skin sensitiser No data found ✓Yes, known to cause a problem ✓Yes, known to cause a problem Eye irritant Phototoxicant   No data found No data found
General human health issues		Believed to offer various health benefits particularly as an anti-inflammatory preparation May cause gastrointestinal irritation

Handling issues

Property	Value and interpretation
General	Combustible but will not ignite easily Incompatible with strong oxidisers
CLP classification 2013	Health: H317
WHO Classification	-
UN Number	Not regulated
Waste disposal & packaging	-
Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity	Stable under normal ambient conditions

TRANSLATIONS

Language	Name
English	salicin
French	-
German	-
Danish	-
Italian	-
Spanish	-
Greek	-
Polish	-
Swedish	-
Hungarian	-
Dutch	-
Norwegian	-

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Record last updated:	14/02/2026
Contact:	aeru@herts.ac.uk
Please cite as:	Lewis, K.A., Tzilivakis, J., Warner, D. and Green, A. (2016) An international database for pesticide risk assessments and management. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 22(4), 1050-1064. DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2015.1133242

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