Involutin is an

organic compound In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. The ...

that can be found in mushrooms belonging to the genus ''

Paxillus ''Paxillus'' is a genus of mushrooms of which most are known to be poisonous or inedible. Species include '' Paxillus involutus'' and '' Paxillus vernalis''. Two former species—''Tapinella panuoides'' and ''Tapinella atrotomentosa''—have now ...

.'' It is part of a class of compounds known as diarylcyclopentenones. It is derived from

atromentin Atromentin is a natural chemical compound found in Agaricomycetes fungi in the orders Agaricales and Thelephorales. It can also be prepared by laboratory synthesis. Chemically, it is a polyphenol and a benzoquinone. Occurrences Atromentin has ...

which was shown from 3′,3″,5′,5″-''d4''-atromentin (deuterated atromentin) feeding studies and observing the deuterated incorporation into two atromentin derivatives (i.e., an increase in monoisotopic mass by 4 mass units), gyrocyanin and its oxidation product gyroporin. It has been shown to be a Fe³⁺-reductant and presumed to be involved in

Fenton chemistry Fenton's reagent is a solution of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) with ferrous iron (typically iron(II) sulfate, FeSO4) as a catalyst that is used to oxidize contaminants or waste waters as part of an advanced oxidation process. Fenton's reagent can be us ...

for the initial attack of dead plant matter.

References

Polyphenols Cyclopentenes {{phenol-stub