Germacrenes are a class of volatile organic
hydrocarbons, specifically,
sesquiterpenes. Germacrenes are typically produced in a number of plant species for their antimicrobial and insecticidal properties, though they also play a role as insect
pheromones. Two prominent molecules are germacrene A and germacrene D.
Structures
Germacrene has five isomers.
Natural occurrences
The essential oils of red deadnettle (''
Lamium purpureum'') and hedgenettles (genus ''
Stachys'')
are characterized by their high contents of germacrene D, as is ''
Clausena anisata
:''Should not be confused with syzygium anisatum, a tree native to eastern Australian rainforests, used as a culinary herb.''
''Clausena anisata'' (Willd.) Hook.f. ex Benth. is a deciduous shrub or small tree, belonging to the Rutaceae or Citrus ...
''. It is also a major component of
patchouli oil
PatchouliAlso spelled ''patchouly'' or ''pachouli''. (; ''Pogostemon cablin'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, commonly called the mint or deadnettle family. The plant grows as a bushy perennial herb, with erect stems r ...
.
References
Further reading
General
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Germacrene A
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Germacrene D
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{{refend
Alkene derivatives
Sesquiterpenes
Cycloalkenes
B