Paracoumaryl alcohol is a
phytochemical
Phytochemicals are chemical compounds produced by plants, generally to help them resist fungi, bacteria and plant virus infections, and also consumption by insects and other animals. The name comes . Some phytochemicals have been used as poisons ...
, one of the
monolignols. It is a white solid. ''p''-Coumaryl alcohol is a major precursor to
lignin
Lignin is a class of complex organic polymers that form key structural materials in the support tissues of most plants. Lignins are particularly important in the formation of cell walls, especially in wood and bark, because they lend rigidity ...
or
lignans.
Biosynthesis and occurrence
It is synthesized via the
phenylpropanoid
The phenylpropanoids are a diverse family of organic compounds that are synthesized by plants from the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine. Their name is derived from the six-carbon, aromatic phenyl group and the three-carbon propene tail of ...
biochemical pathway
In biochemistry, a metabolic pathway is a linked series of chemical reactions occurring within a cell. The reactants, products, and intermediates of an enzymatic reaction are known as metabolites, which are modified by a sequence of chemical reac ...
.
Esters of ''p''-coumaryl alcohol and
fatty acids are the basis of epicuticular
waxes covering the surfaces of
apples.
p-Coumaryl alcohol is an intermediate in
biosynthesis
Biosynthesis is a multi-step, enzyme-catalyzed process where substrates are converted into more complex products in living organisms. In biosynthesis, simple compounds are modified, converted into other compounds, or joined to form macromolecules. ...
of
chavicol,
stilbenoids, and
coumarin.
External links
Molecule of the week: p-coumaryl alcohol
References
{{Monolignols
Monolignols