Thujene
Encyclopedia
Thujene is a natural organic compound
classified as a monoterpene
. It is found in the essential oil
s of a variety of plants, and contributes pungency to the flavor of some herb
s such as Summer savory
.
The term thujene usually refers to α-thujene. A less common chemically-related double-bond isomer
is known as β-thujene (or 2-thujene). Another double-bond isomer is known as sabinene
.
Organic compound
An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...
classified as a monoterpene
Monoterpene
Monoterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of two isoprene units and have the molecular formula C10H16. Monoterpenes may be linear or contain rings...
. It is found in the essential oil
Essential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove...
s of a variety of plants, and contributes pungency to the flavor of some herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s such as Summer savory
Summer savory
Summer savory is the better known of the savory species. It is an annual, but otherwise is similar in use and flavor to the perennial winter savory...
.
The term thujene usually refers to α-thujene. A less common chemically-related double-bond isomer
Isomer
In chemistry, isomers are compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural formulas. Isomers do not necessarily share similar properties, unless they also have the same functional groups. There are many different classes of isomers, like stereoisomers, enantiomers, geometrical...
is known as β-thujene (or 2-thujene). Another double-bond isomer is known as sabinene
Sabinene
Sabinene is a natural bicyclic monoterpene with the molecular formula C10H16. It is isolated from the essential oils of a variety of plants including holm oak and Norway spruce...
.
| Chemical structure comparison | ||
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| α-Thujene | β-Thujene | Sabinene |