Phototoxicity, photoallergy, and contact sensitization of nitro musk perfume raw materials.

The potential of 4 related nitro musk substances (musk tibetene, musk ketone, musk xylol, and musk moskene) to cause photoallergy, phototoxicity, and/or contact sensitivity was compared to that of musk ambrette, a known photoallergen. Musk ambrette caused a high incidence of photoallergy as indicated by the severity of the skin grades as compared to a control group. Musk tibetene and musk moskene were negative for phototoxicity, photoallergenicity and contact sensitivity under the test conditions. Musk xylol was shown to be a weak contact sensitizer. Musk ketone gave challenge responses suggestive of a weak phototoxin and a weak contact sensitizer. The latter was not affected by light exposure. These data suggest that except for musk ambrette, the nitro musks as a group do not have the potential to produce photoallergy. Some members of this type of perfume raw material could be classified as weak sensitizers (musk xylol, musk ketone) or weakly phototoxic (musk ketone). These latter biological qualities have not been expressed clinically.