Pedunculagin is an
ellagitannin
The ellagitannins are a diverse class of hydrolyzable tannins, a type of polyphenol formed primarily from the oxidative linkage of galloyl groups in 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloyl glucose. Ellagitannins differ from gallotannins, in that their galloyl ...
. It is formed from
casuarictin via the loss of a
gallate group.
Natural occurrence
Pedunculagin is found in plants in orders in the clade Rosidae. It can be found the pericarp of
pomegranate
The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows between tall.
The pomegranate was originally described throughout the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean re ...
s (''Punica granatum''), in the family Lythraceae, in the order Myrtales.
It is also found in plants in the order Fagales such as
walnut
A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''.
Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...
s (''Juglans regia'') in the family Juglandaceae, in ''
Alnus sieboldiana'' and in the Manchurian alder (''
Alnus hirsuta var. microphylla''), both species in the family Betulaceae and it is one of the main
oak wood ellagitannins along with castalagin, vescalagin, grandinin and roburins A-E (genus ''Quercus'', in the family Fagaceae). It is also found in the Indian gooseberry (''
Phyllanthus emblica
''Phyllanthus emblica'', also known as emblic, emblic myrobalan, myrobalan, Indian gooseberry, Malacca tree, or amla, from the Sanskrit आमलकी (āmalakī), is a deciduous tree of the family Phyllanthaceae. Its native range is tropical a ...
''), a plant in the family Phyllanthaceae, in the order Malpighiales.
Galloyl pedunculagin can be found in ''
Platycarya strobilacea''.
Research
Pedunculagin is a highly active
carbonic anhydrase inhibitor
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors are a class of pharmaceuticals that suppress the activity of carbonic anhydrase. Their clinical use has been established as anti-glaucoma agents, diuretics, antiepileptics, in the management of mountain sickness, g ...
''
in vitro
''In vitro'' (meaning in glass, or ''in the glass'') studies are performed with microorganisms, cells, or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called " test-tube experiments", these studies in biology ...
''.
[
]
Chemistry
A total synthesis
Total synthesis is the complete chemical synthesis of a complex molecule, often a natural product, from simple, commercially-available precursors. It usually refers to a process not involving the aid of biological processes, which distinguishes i ...
of pedunculagin has been reported.
References
{{Ellagitannin
Ellagitannins
Pomegranate ellagitannins
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors