Coniferyl aldehyde 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. T ...
with the formula HO(CH
3O)C
6H
3CH=CHCHO. It is a derivative of
cinnamaldehyde
Cinnamaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula(C9H8O) C6H5CH=CHCHO. Occurring naturally as predominantly the ''trans'' (''E'') isomer, it gives cinnamon its flavor and odor. It is a phenylpropanoid that is naturally synthesized by the sh ...
, featuring 4-hydroxy and 3-
methoxy
In organic chemistry, a methoxy group is the functional group consisting of a methyl group bound to oxygen. This alkoxy group has the formula .
On a benzene ring, the Hammett equation classifies a methoxy substituent at the ''para'' position a ...
substituents. It is a major precursor to
lignin.
Biosynthetic role
In sweetgum (''Liquidambar styraciflua''), coniferyl aldehyde is a precursor to
sinapaldehyde
Sinapaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula HO(CH3O)2C6H2CH=CHCHO. It is a derivative of cinnamaldehyde, featuring one hydroxy group and two methoxy groups as substituents. It is an intermediate in the formation of sinapyl alcohol, a ...
via
hydroxylation mediated by coniferyl aldehyde 5-hydroxylase.
Coniferyl aldehyde is reduced to coniferyl alcohol by the action of
dehydrogenase
A dehydrogenase is an enzyme belonging to the group of oxidoreductases that oxidizes a substrate by reducing an electron acceptor, usually NAD+/NADP+ or a flavin coenzyme such as FAD or FMN. Like all catalysts, they catalyze reverse as well as ...
enzymes.
[
It is found in '' Senra incana'' (Hibisceae). It is a low molecular weight ]phenol
Phenol (also called carbolic acid) is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a white crystalline solid that is volatile. The molecule consists of a phenyl group () bonded to a hydroxy group (). Mildly acidic, it ...
that is susceptible to extraction from cork stopper
A stopper or cork is a cylindrical or conical closure used to seal a container, such as a bottle, tube or barrel. Unlike a lid or bottle cap, which encloses a container from the outside without displacing the inner volume, a bung is partially ...
s into wine.[Polyphenolic Composition of Quercus suber Cork from Different Spanish Provenances. Elvira Conde, Estrella Cadahía, María Concepción García-Vallejo and Brígida Fernández de Simón, J. Agric. Food Chem., 1998, volume 46, pp 3166–3171 ]
See also
* Phenolic compounds in wine
The phenolic content in wine refers to the phenolic compounds—natural phenol and polyphenols—in wine, which include a large group of several hundred chemical compounds that affect the taste, color and mouthfeel of wine. These compounds include ...
References
O-methylated phenylpropanoids
Conjugated aldehydes
Vinylogous carboxylic acids
{{aromatic-stub