Luteic acid is a

natural phenol In biochemistry, naturally occurring phenols are natural products containing at least one phenol functional group. Phenolic compounds are produced by plants and microorganisms. Organisms sometimes synthesize phenolic compounds in response to eco ...

found in numerous

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

s. It is a monolactonized tergalloyl group.

Maximilian Nierenstein Maximilian Nierenstein (also known as Moses Max Nierenstein or Max Nierenstein; 1877–1946) was a professor of biochemistry at the University of Bristol. He is known for the Nierenstein reaction, an organic reaction describing the conversion of ...

showed in 1945 that luteic acid was a molecule present in the myrobalanitannin, a tannin found in the fruit of ''

Terminalia chebula ''Terminalia chebula'', commonly known as black- or chebulic myrobalan, is a species of ''Terminalia'', native to South Asia from India and Nepal east to southwest China (Yunnan), and south to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Vietnam.Flora of China''Term ...

'' and is an intermediary compound in the synthesis of

ellagic acid Ellagic acid is a polyphenol found in numerous fruits and vegetables. It is the dilactone of hexahydroxydiphenic acid. Name The name comes from the French term ''acide ellagique'', from the word ''galle'' spelled backwards because it can be ob ...

. It can form from

hexahydroxydiphenic acid Hexahydroxydiphenic acid is an organic compound with the formula HO)3C6HCO2Hsub>2. It is the oxidatively coupled derivative of gallic acid It is a white solid, although samples are typically brown owing to oxidation. left, 142px, Ellagic acid. ...

. It is also present in the structure of the tannins

alnusiin Alnusiin is an ellagitannin found in '' Alnus sieboldiana''.Structures of alnusiin and bicornin, new hydrolyzable tannins having a monolactonized tergalloyl group. Yoshida T, Yazaki K, Memon M.U, Maruyama I, Kurokawa K, Shingu T and Okuda T, Chemic ...

and

bicornin Bicornin is an ellagitannin found in the Myrtales ''Trapa bicornis'' (water caltrop) and '' Syzygium aromaticum'' (clove). The molecule contains a luteic acid Luteic acid is a natural phenol found in numerous fruits. It is a monolactonized tergal ...

.Structures of alnusiin and bicornin, new hydrolyzable tannins having a monolactonized tergalloyl group. Yoshida T, Yazaki K, Memon M.U, Maruyama I, Kurokawa K, Shingu T and Okuda T, Chemical and pharmaceutical bulletin, 1989, volume 37, number 10, pages 2655-2660,
abstract

References

Aromatic acids Benzochromenes Coumarins Ellagitannins Isocoumarins Pyrogallols Biphenyls {{aromatic-stub