''o''-Coumaric acid is a
hydroxycinnamic acid
Hydroxycinnamic acids (hydroxycinnamates) are a class of aromatic acids or phenylpropanoids having a C6–C3 skeleton. These compounds are hydroxy derivatives of cinnamic acid.
In the category of List of phytochemicals in food, phytochemicals tha ...
, an organic compound that is a
hydroxy derivative of
cinnamic acid
Cinnamic acid is an organic compound with the formula phenyl, C6H5-CH=CH-Carboxylic acid, COOH. It is a white crystalline compound that is slightly soluble in water, and freely soluble in many organic solvents. Classified as an unsaturated carboxy ...
. There are three
isomer
In chemistry, isomers are molecules or polyatomic ions with identical molecular formula – that is, the same number of atoms of each element (chemistry), element – but distinct arrangements of atoms in space. ''Isomerism'' refers to the exi ...
s of
coumaric acid Coumaric acid is a phenolic derivative of cinnamic acid having a hydroxy group as substituent at one of the aromatic
In organic chemistry, aromaticity is a chemical property describing the way in which a conjugated system, conjugated ring of un ...
s — ''o''-coumaric acid, ''m''-coumaric acid, and ''p''-coumaric acid — that differ by the position of the hydroxy substitution of the phenyl group.
Natural occurrence
''o''-Coumaric acid can be found in
vinegar
Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...
.
2-Coumarate reductase
In enzymology, a 2-coumarate reductase or melilotate dehydrogenase () is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
:3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)propanoate + NAD+ \rightleftharpoons 2-coumarate + NADH + H+
Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme ar ...
is an enzyme that produces 2-coumarate from
3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)propanoate and
NAD+. This enzyme participates in phenylalanine metabolism.
References
External links
''o''-Coumaric acid at www.phenol-explorer.eu
Hydroxycinnamic acids
Vinylogous carboxylic acids
2-Hydroxyphenyl compounds
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