Gurjunene, also known as (-)-α-gurjunene, is a natural carbotricyclic

sesquiterpene Sesquiterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of three isoprene units and often have the molecular formula C15H24. Like monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes may be cyclic or contain rings, including many combinations. Biochemical modifications s ...

that is most commonly found in gurjun balsam, an essential oil compound extracted from plants of the genus ''

Dipterocarpus '' D. retusus'' in Köhler ''Dipterocarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants and the type genus of family Dipterocarpaceae. ''Dipterocarpus'' is the third-largest and most diverse genus among the Dipterocarpaceae. The species are well known for ...

.'' The following reaction that synthesizes gurjunene can be catalyzed by alpha-gurjunene synthase:

(2''E'',6''E'')-
farnesyl diphosphate Farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), also known as farnesyl diphosphate (FDP), is the precursor to all sesquiterpenes, which comprises thousands of compounds. These include all sesquiterpenes as well as sterols and carotenoids. It is also used in the syn ...
$\rightleftharpoons$ (–)-α-gurjunene +
diphosphate In chemistry, pyrophosphates are phosphorus oxyanions that contain two phosphorus atoms in a linkage. A number of pyrophosphate salts exist, such as disodium pyrophosphate () and tetrasodium pyrophosphate (), among others. Often pyrophosphate ...

Related compounds

Several related compounds are known, including β-gurjunene and γ-gurjunene.

References

{{Reflist Sesquiterpenes Tricyclic compounds Cyclopropanes Azulenes