Nepetalactol is an

iridoid Iridoids are a type of monoterpenoids in the general form of cyclopentanopyran, found in a wide variety of plants and some animals. They are biosynthetically derived from 8-oxogeranial. Iridoids are typically found in plants as glycosides, mo ...

. It is produced from 8-oxogeranial by the enzyme

iridoid synthase Iridoids are a type of monoterpenoids in the general form of cyclopentanopyran, found in a wide variety of plants and some animals. They are biosynthetically derived from 8-oxogeranial. Iridoids are typically found in plants as glycosides, mo ...

. Nepetalactol is a substrate for the enzyme

iridoid oxidase Iridoids are a type of monoterpenoids in the general form of cyclopentanopyran, found in a wide variety of plants and some animals. They are biosynthetically derived from 8-oxogeranial. Iridoids are typically found in plants as glycosides, mo ...

(IO) which produces

7-deoxyloganetic acid 7-Deoxyloganetic acid is an iridoid monoterpene. It is produced from nepetalactol or iridodial Iridodial is an iridoid. It is produced from 8-oxogeranial by the enzyme iridoid synthase (IS). Iridodial is one of the substrates for the en ...

. It has been identified in ''

Actinidia polygama ''Actinidia polygama'' (also known as , silver vine, , and cat powder) is a species of kiwifruit in the Actinidiaceae family. It grows in the mountainous areas of Korea, Japan and China at elevations between . Silver vine can reach up to high ...

'' (the silver vine) as a major

cat attractant A cat pheromone is a chemical molecule, or compound, that is used by cats and other felids for communication. These pheromones are produced and detected specifically by the body systems of cats and evoke certain behavioural responses. The name of t ...

, and a mosquito repellent. The fact that mosquitos bite cats with nepetalactol on their fur less often may explain why cats are attracted to silver vine in the first place.

References

{{Reflist Iridoids Cyclopentanes