Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026
07:59
A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
Published on: October 4, 2019
Summary
Phenylpropanoid compounds, derived from cinnamic acid, are key flavor and fragrance components in some essential oils. Their presence, origin, and role as glycosides or aglycones are explored.
Area of Science:
- Phytochemistry
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Essential oils predominantly contain mono- and sesquiterpenes.
- Certain plant families feature phenylpropanoid compounds as significant essential oil constituents.
- Phenylpropanoids are often found as non-volatile glycosides, releasing volatile aglycones upon cleavage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey the distribution of phenylpropanoid compounds in essential oils.
- To investigate the structural properties and biochemical origins of these compounds.
- To understand the role of cinnamic acid and its derivatives in volatile phenylpropanoid biosynthesis.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and survey of existing data on essential oil composition.
- Analysis of structural properties of phenylpropanoid compounds.
- Examination of biochemical pathways and metabolic intermediates.
Main Results:
- Phenylpropanoids, particularly derivatives of cinnamic acid, are important components in some essential oils.
- Cinnamic acid and p-hydroxycinnamic acid are crucial metabolic intermediates for volatile phenylpropanoids.
- Enzymatic cleavage of phenylpropanoid glycosides releases aglycones responsible for flavors and fragrances.
Conclusions:
- Phenylpropanoids contribute significantly to the aroma profiles of certain essential oils.
- Understanding the biosynthesis of these compounds is key to their application in flavors and fragrances.
- The study highlights the dual role of phenylpropanoids as glycosides and volatile aglycones.
More Related Videos
10:30A Generalized Method for Determining Free Soluble Phenolic Acid Composition and Antioxidant Capacity of Cereals and Legumes
Published on: June 10, 2022
14:39Semi-Targeted Ultra-High-Performance Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Phenolic Metabolites in Plasma of Elderly Adults
Published on: April 22, 2022
Related Concept Videos
02:23Structure and Nomenclature of Alcohols and Phenols
Overview
Alcohols are one of the most important functional groups in organic chemistry. The name of alcohol comes from the hydrocarbon from which it is derived. Alcohols are organic molecules containing the functional hydroxyl or –OH group directly bonded to carbon. Phenols have an OH group directly attached to a benzene ring. While alcohols are colorless, phenol is a white crystalline compound with a characteristic "hospital smell" odor.
As with other organic compounds, alcohols and phenols...
Alcohols are one of the most important functional groups in organic chemistry. The name of alcohol comes from the hydrocarbon from which it is derived. Alcohols are organic molecules containing the functional hydroxyl or –OH group directly bonded to carbon. Phenols have an OH group directly attached to a benzene ring. While alcohols are colorless, phenol is a white crystalline compound with a characteristic "hospital smell" odor.
As with other organic compounds, alcohols and phenols...
01:25Aromatic Compounds: Overview
In general, the term ‘aromatic’ indicates a pleasant smell or fragrance from fresh flowers, freshly prepared coffee, etc. In the early history of organic chemistry, many benzene derivatives were isolated from the pleasant odor oils of the plants. For example, vanillin was isolated from the oil of vanilla, methyl salicylate from the oil of wintergreen, and cinnamaldehyde from the oil of cinnamon. They all had a pleasant odor; hence the name aromatic was given.
In 1825, Faraday isolated benzene...
In 1825, Faraday isolated benzene...
01:23Nomenclature of Aromatic Compounds with a Single Substituent
Benzene is the simplest aromatic hydrocarbon or arene. The IUPAC names for simple monosubstituted benzene derivatives are derived by adding the substituent's name as a prefix to the parent benzene. For example, halobenzene, where the halogen could be fluoro (F), chloro (Cl), bromo (Br), and iodo (I).
01:14NMR Spectroscopy of Aromatic Compounds
Aromatic compounds can be identified or analyzed using proton NMR and carbon‐13 NMR. Typically, aromatic hydrogens or hydrogens directly bonded to the aromatic rings are strongly deshielded by the aromatic ring current. Therefore, they absorb in the range of 6.5–8.0 ppm in proton NMR spectra. For instance, aromatic hydrogens directly bonded to the benzene ring absorb at 7.3 ppm. However, aromatic hydrogens of larger rings absorb farther upfield or downfield than the ideal range. Consider...
01:37NMR Spectroscopy of Benzene Derivatives
Simple unsubstituted benzene has six aromatic protons, all chemically equivalent. Therefore, benzene exhibits only a singlet peak at δ 7.3 ppm in the 1H NMR spectrum. The observed shift is far downfield because the aromatic ring current strongly deshields the protons. Any substitution on the benzene ring makes the aromatic protons nonequivalent, and the protons split each other. The peak is, therefore, no longer a singlet and the splitting pattern and their associated coupling constants depend...
01:14π Electron Effects on Chemical Shift: Aromatic and Antiaromatic Compounds
In aromatic compounds, such as benzene, the circulation of (4n + 2) π-electrons sets up a diamagnetic or diatropic ring current around the perimeter of the molecule. This current induces a magnetic field that opposes the external field inside the ring and reinforces it on the outside. The protons in benzene are deshielded and exhibit high chemical shifts in the range 6.5–8.5 ppm. The shielding effect at the center of the ring is evident in complex aromatic molecules, such as annulenes. In...