Cembrene A, or sometimes neocembrene, is a natural monocyclic

diterpene Diterpenes are a class of terpenes composed of four isoprene units, often with the molecular formula C20H32. They are biosynthesized by plants, animals and fungi via the HMG-CoA reductase pathway, with geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate being a primary ...

isolated from corals of the genus ''

Nephthea ''Litophyton'' is a genus of soft corals in the family Nephtheidae. Species The World Register of Marine Species includes the following species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals ...

''. It is a colorless oil with a faint wax-like odor. Cembrene A is a trail

pheromone A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...

for termites; however, the chemical structure of cembrene is central to a very wide variety of other natural products found both in plants and in animals.''Terpenes: Flavors, Fragrances, Pharmaca, Pheromones'', Eberhard Breitmaier, page 7. ''

Pinus leucodermis ''Pinus heldreichii'', the Bosnian pine or Heldreich's pine, is a species of pine native to mountains of southeast Europe in the Balkans and southern Italy. Description It is an evergreen tree up to in height, and in trunk diameter. The bark i ...

'' tree bark and wood

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the ...

s contain a high percentage of cembrene. Cembrenes are biosynthesized by macrocyclization of

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 ...

References

{{reflist Diterpenes Alkene derivatives Insect ecology Insect pheromones Cycloalkenes