Actinidine
Encyclopedia
Actinidine is a pyridine
derivative
found in the essential oil
of valerian
(Valeriana officinalis) root and Actinidia polygama
(silver vine). Actinidine is also a pheromone
for a variety of insects. Actinidine is a cat attractant, with similar effects as nepetalactone
, the active compound found in catnip.
Pyridine
Pyridine is a basic heterocyclic organic compound with the chemical formula C5H5N. It is structurally related to benzene, with one C-H group replaced by a nitrogen atom...
derivative
Derivative (chemistry)
In chemistry, a derivative is a compound that is derived from a similar compound by some chemical or physical process. In the past it was also used to mean a compound that can be imagined to arise from another compound, if one atom is replaced with another atom or group of atoms, but modern...
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...
of valerian
Valerian (herb)
Valerian is a hardy perennial flowering plant, with heads of sweetly scented pink or white flowers which bloom in the summer months. Valerian flower extracts were used as a perfume in the sixteenth century....
(Valeriana officinalis) root and Actinidia polygama
Actinidia polygama
Actinidia polygama is a non-toxic plant in the Actinidiaceae family. It grows in the mountainous areas of Japan and China at elevations between 500–1900 meters....
(silver vine). Actinidine is also a pheromone
Pheromone
A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual...
for a variety of insects. Actinidine is a cat attractant, with similar effects as nepetalactone
Nepetalactone
Nepetalactone is an organic compound, first isolated from the plant catnip , which acts as a cat attractant. Nepetalactone is bicyclic terpenoid, i.e., it is a ten-carbon compound derived from isoprene with two fused rings, a cyclopentane and a lactone. The structure and the effects of the compound...
, the active compound found in catnip.