Sesquiterpenoid

Sesquiterpenoids

The FPP backbone can be rearranged in several different ways and further decorated with different functional groups, hence the large variety of sesquiterpenoids. Geosmin, the volatile compound that gives an earthy taste and musty odor in drinking water and the characteristic odor on a rainy day, is a sesquiterpenoid, produced by bacteria, especially cyanobacteria, that are present in the soils and water supplies. Oxidation of farnesene then provides the sesquiterpenoid farnesol.