Mesquitol is a

flavan-3-ol Flavan-3-ols (sometimes referred to as flavanols) are a subgroup of flavonoids. They are derivatives of flavans that possess a 2-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-2''H''-chromen-3-ol skeleton. Flavan-3-ols are structurally diverse and include a range of compo ...

, a type of flavonoid. '' Prosopis juliflora'', an invasive

New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

mesquite Mesquite is a common name for some plants in the genera ''Neltuma'' and '' Strombocarpa'', which contain over 50 species of spiny, deep-rooted leguminous shrubs and small trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. Until 2022, these ge ...

now found in Kenya, has unusually high levels of (−)-mesquitol in its heartwood. Mesquitol, with its

pyrogallol Pyrogallol is an organic compound with the formula C6H3(OH)3. It is a water-soluble, white solid although samples are typically brownish because of its sensitivity toward oxygen. It is one of three isomers of benzenetriols. Production and reac ...

-type A-ring, is more susceptible to

quinone The quinones are a class of organic compounds that are formally "derived from aromatic compounds benzene.html" ;"title="uch as benzene">uch as benzene or naphthalene] by conversion of an even number of –CH= groups into –C(=O)– groups with ...

formation at this ring, leading to aryl–aryl bond formation at carbon 5. The structural moieties constitute the proteracacinidin class of

proanthocyanidin Proanthocyanidins are a class of polyphenols found in many plants, such as cranberry, blueberry, and grape seeds. Chemically, they are oligomeric flavonoids. Many are oligomers of catechin and epicatechin and their gallic acid esters. More complex ...

s. Mesquitol-(5→8)-catechin

atropisomer Atropisomers are stereoisomers arising because of hindered rotation about a covalent bond, single bond, where Gibbs free energy, energy differences due to steric strain or other contributors create a barrier to rotation that is high enough to all ...

s can be isolated from '' Prosopis glandulosa''.

References

Flavanols Catechols {{aromatic-stub