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β-thujone
Thujone () is a ketone and a monoterpene that occurs predominantly in two diastereomeric (epimeric) forms: (−)-α-thujone and (+)-β-thujone. Though it is best known as a chemical compound in the spirit absinthe, it is only present in trace amounts and is unlikely to be responsible for the spirit's purported stimulant and psychoactive effects. Thujone acts on the GABAA receptor as an antagonist. As a competitive antagonist of GABAA receptor, thujone alone is considered to be convulsant, though by interfering with the inhibitory transmitter GABA, it may convey stimulating, mood-elevating effects at low doses. It is also found in perfumery as a component of several essential oils. In addition to the naturally occurring (−)-α-thujone and (+)-β-thujone, two other forms are possible: (+)-α-thujone and (−)-β-thujone. In 2016, they were found in nature as well, in ''Salvia officinalis''. File:(-)-alpha-Thujon.svg, (−)-α-thujone File:Alpha-(+)-Thujon.svg, (+)-α-thujone ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Artemisia Absinthium
''Artemisia absinthium'', otherwise known as common wormwood, is a species of '' Artemisia'' native to North Africa and temperate regions of Eurasia, and widely naturalized in Canada and the northern United States. It is grown as an ornamental plant and is used as an ingredient in the spirit absinthe and some other alcoholic beverages. Etymology Wormwood's relative mugwort was traditionally used as a remedy for a variety of complaints, especially those of a gynaecological nature, and so the wormwood genus bears the name of the Greek goddess of childbirth, Artemis. The specific name derives from ''apsÃnthion'', the Greek term for the plant. "Wormwood" itself is an alteration of Old English ''wermod'', which is of obscure origin. The German cognate ''Wermut'' is the source of the term vermouth, used in French and English to describe a kind of wine traditionally flavoured with wormwood. Description ''A. absinthium'' is a herbaceous perennial plant with fibrous roots. The stem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ball-and-stick Model
In chemistry, the ball-and-stick model is a molecular model of a chemical substance which displays both the Molecular geometry, three-dimensional position of the atoms and the chemical bond, bonds between them. The atoms are typically represented by sphere (geometry), spheres, connected by rods which represent the bonds. Double bond, Double and triple bonds are usually represented by two or three curved rods, respectively, or alternately by correctly positioned sticks for the sigma bond, sigma and pi bonds. In a good model, the angles between the rods should be the same as the Bond angle, angles between the bonds, and the distances between the centers of the spheres should be proportional to the distances between the corresponding atomic nucleus, atomic nuclei. The chemical element of each atom is often indicated by the sphere's color. In a ball-and-stick model, the radius of the spheres is usually much smaller than the rod lengths, in order to provide a clearer view of the atoms ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south as tropical Africa, including the Arctic, parts of Asia, and Central America. The highest-known juniper forest occurs at an altitude of in southeastern Tibet and the northern Himalayas, creating one of the highest tree lines on earth. Description Junipers vary in size and shape from tall trees, tall, to columnar or low-spreading shrubs with long, trailing branches. They are evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ... with needle-like and/or scale-like leaves. They can be either monoecious or dioecious. The female Conif ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MEP Pathway
The non-mevalonate pathway—also appearing as the mevalonate-independent pathway and the 2-''C''-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate/1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate (MEP/DOXP) pathway—is an alternative metabolic pathway for the biosynthesis of the isoprenoid precursors isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP). The currently preferred name for this pathway is the MEP pathway, since MEP is the first committed metabolite on the route to IPP. Isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis The mevalonate pathway (MVA pathway or HMG-CoA reductase pathway) and the MEP pathway are metabolic pathways for the biosynthesis of isoprenoid precursors: IPP and DMAPP. Whereas plants use both MVA and MEP pathway, most organisms only use one of the pathways for the biosynthesis of isoprenoid precursors. In plant cells IPP/DMAPP biosynthesis via the MEP pathway takes place in plastid organelles, while the biosynthesis via the MVA pathway takes place in the cytoplasm. Most gram-negativ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isoprene Rule
Terpenes () are a class of natural products consisting of compounds with the formula (C5H8)n for n ≥ 2. Terpenes are major biosynthetic building blocks. Comprising more than 30,000 compounds, these unsaturated hydrocarbons are produced predominantly by plants, particularly conifers. In plants, terpenes and terpenoids are important mediators of ecological interactions, while some insects use some terpenes as a form of defense. Other functions of terpenoids include cell growth modulation and plant elongation, light harvesting and photoprotection, and membrane permeability and fluidity control. Terpenes are classified by the number of carbons: monoterpenes (C10), sesquiterpenes (C15), diterpenes (C20), as examples. The terpene alpha-pinene is a major component of the common solvent, turpentine. The one terpene that has major applications is natural rubber (i.e., polyisoprene). The possibility that other terpenes could be used as precursors to produce synthetic polymers has been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Carbon-13 (C13) nuclear magnetic resonance (most commonly known as carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy or 13C NMR spectroscopy or sometimes simply referred to as carbon NMR) is the application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to carbon. It is analogous to proton NMR ( NMR) and allows the identification of carbon atoms in an organic molecule just as proton NMR identifies hydrogen atoms. 13C NMR detects only the isotope. The main carbon isotope, does not produce an NMR signal. Although ca. 1 mln. times less sensitive than 1H NMR spectroscopy, 13C NMR spectroscopy is widely used for characterizing organic and organometallic compounds, primarily because 1H-decoupled 13C-NMR spectra are more simple, have a greater sensitivity to differences in the chemical structure, and, thus, are better suited for identifying molecules in complex mixtures. At the same time, such spectra lack quantitative information about the atomic ratios of different types of carbon nuclei, because nuc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isopentenyl Diphosphate
Isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP, isopentenyl diphosphate, or IDP) is an isoprenoid precursor. IPP is an intermediate in the classical, HMG-CoA reductase pathway (commonly called the mevalonate pathway) and in the ''non-mevalonate'' MEP pathway of isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis. Isoprenoid precursors such as IPP, and its isomer Dimethylallyl pyrophosphate, DMAPP, are used by organisms in the biosynthesis of terpenes and terpenoids. Biosynthesis IPP is formed from acetyl-CoA via the mevalonate pathway (the "upstream" part), and then is isomerized to dimethylallyl pyrophosphate by the enzyme isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase. IPP can be synthesised via an alternative non-mevalonate pathway of isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis, the MEP pathway, where it is formed from (E)-4-Hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate, (''E'')-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMB-PP) by the enzyme HMB-PP reductase (LytB, IspH). The MEP pathway is present in many bacteria, apicomplex ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dimethylallyl Pyrophosphate
Dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP; or alternatively, dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMADP); also isoprenyl pyrophosphate) is an isoprenoid precursor. It is a product of both the mevalonate pathway and the MEP pathway of isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis. It is an isomer of isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and exists in virtually all life forms. The enzyme isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase catalyzes isomerization between DMAPP and IPP. In the mevalonate pathway, DMAPP is synthesised from mevalonic acid. In contrast, DMAPP is synthesised from HMBPP in the MEP pathway. At present, it is believed that there is crossover between the two pathways in organisms that use both pathways to create terpenes and terpenoid The terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, are a class of naturally occurring organic compound, organic chemicals derived from the 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes, diterpenes, etc. While sometimes used interchangeabl ...s, such as in plant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geranyl Diphosphate
Geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP), also known as geranyl diphosphate (GDP), is the pyrophosphate ester of the terpenoid geraniol. Its salts are colorless. It is a precursor to many thousands of natural products. Occurrence GPP is an intermediate in the isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway that produces longer prenyl chains such as farnesyl pyrophosphate and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate as well as many terpenes. It can be prepared in the laboratory from geraniol. Microbial toxicity Intracellularly produced GPP has been shown to be toxic to the bacteria '' E. coli'' at moderate doses. Related compounds * Geraniol * Farnesyl pyrophosphate * Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of diterpenes and diterpenoids. It is also the precursor to carotenoids, gibberellins, tocopherols, and chlorophylls. It is also a precursor to geranylgeranylated proteins, whic ... See also * Dimethylallyltranstransferase References Further reading ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mentha
''Mentha'', also known as mint (from Greek , Linear B ''mi-ta''), is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is estimated that 13 to 24 species exist, but the exact distinction between species is unclear. Hybridization occurs naturally where some species' ranges overlap. Many hybrids and cultivars are known. The genus has a subcosmopolitan distribution, growing best in wet environments and moist soils. Description Mints are aromatic, almost exclusively perennial herbs. They have wide-spreading underground and overground stolons and erect, square, branched stems. Mints will grow tall and can spread over an indeterminate area. Due to their tendency to spread unchecked, some mints are considered invasive. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, from oblong to lanceolate, often downy, and with a serrated margin. Leaf colors range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue, and sometimes pale yellow. The flowers are produced in long bracts ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Artemisia (plant)
''Artemisia'' ( ) is a large, diverse genus of plants belonging to the daisy family, Asteraceae, with almost 500 species. Common names for various species in the genus include mugwort, Artemisia absinthium, wormwood, and sagebrush. Some botanists split the genus into several genera, but DNA analysis does not support the maintenance of the genera ''Crossostephium'', ''Filifolium'', ''Neopallasia'', ''Seriphidium'', and ''Sphaeromeria''; three other segregate (taxonomy), segregate genera—''Stilnolepis'', ''Elachanthemum'', and ''Kaschgaria''—are maintained by this evidence. Occasionally, some of the species are called sages, causing confusion with the ''Salvia'' sages in the family Lamiaceae. ''Artemisia'' comprises hardiness (plants), hardy herbaceous plants and shrubs, which are known for the powerful chemical constituents in their essential oils. ''Artemisia'' species grow in temperate climates of both hemispheres, usually in dry or semiarid habitats. Notable species include ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tansy
Tansy (''Tanacetum vulgare'') is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant in the genus ''Tanacetum'' in the aster family, native to temperate Europe and Asia. It has been introduced to other parts of the world, including North America, and in some areas has become invasive. It is also known as common tansy, bitter buttons, cow bitter, or golden buttons. The Latin word ''vulgare'' means "common". Description Tansy is a flowering herbaceous plant with finely divided compound leaves and yellow, button-like flowers. It has a stout, somewhat reddish, erect stem, usually smooth, tall, and branching near the top. The leaves are alternate, long and are pinnately lobed, divided almost to the center into about seven pairs of segments, or lobes, which are again divided into smaller lobes having saw-toothed edges, giving the leaf a somewhat fern-like appearance. The roundish, flat-topped, button-like, yellow flower heads are produced in terminal clusters from mid-to-late summer. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
