Pinosylvin

Pinosylvin is a pre-infectious stilbenoid toxin that is synthetized in plants during fungal infections, ozone induced stress and physical damage for example. It is a fungitoxin protecting the wood from fungal infection. It is present in the heartwood of Pinaceae and also found in Gnetum cleistostachyum. Pinosylvin is a pre-infectious stilbenoid toxin that is synthetized in plants during fungal infections, ozone induced stress and physical damage for example. It is a fungitoxin protecting the wood from fungal infection. It is present in the heartwood of Pinaceae and also found in Gnetum cleistostachyum. Injected in rats, pinosylvin shows a rapid glucuronidation and a poor bioavailability. Pinosylvin is solid and needle-like. It is very soluble on acetone, benzene and chloroform. Pinosylvin synthase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction 3 malonyl-CoA + cinnamoyl-CoA → 4 CoA + pinosylvin + 4 CO2 This biosynthesis is noteworthy because plant biosyntheses employing cinnamic acid as a starting point are rare compared to the more common use of p-coumaric acid. Only a few identified compounds, such as anigorufone and curcumin, use cinnamic acid as their start molecule.