Nootkatone
Encyclopedia
Nootkatone is a natural organic compound
and is the most important and expensive aromatic of grapefruit
. It is a sesquiterpene
and a ketone
.
Nootkatone was previously thought to be one of the main chemical components of the smell and flavour of grapefruit
s. In its solid form it is usually found as crystal
s. As a liquid
, it is viscous
and yellow
. Nootkatone is typically extracted from grapefruit
, but can also be manufactured with genetically modified organisms, or through the chemical or biochemical oxidation of valencene
. It is also found in Alaska yellow cedar trees
and vetiver grass.
and lone star ticks
. It is also an effective repellent/insecticide against mosquitos, and may repel bed bugs, head lice and other insects. It is environmentally friendly insecticide, because it is a volatile essential oil that does not persist in the environment. It is nontoxic to humans, is an approved food additive, and "is commonly used in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals".
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...
and is the most important and expensive aromatic of grapefruit
Grapefruit
The grapefruit , is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados. When found, it was named the "forbidden fruit"; it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock , one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange The...
. It is a sesquiterpene
Sesquiterpene
Sesquiterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of three isoprene units and have the molecular formula C15H24. Like monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes may be acyclic or contain rings, including many unique combinations...
and a ketone
Ketone
In organic chemistry, a ketone is an organic compound with the structure RCR', where R and R' can be a variety of atoms and groups of atoms. It features a carbonyl group bonded to two other carbon atoms. Many ketones are known and many are of great importance in industry and in biology...
.
Nootkatone was previously thought to be one of the main chemical components of the smell and flavour of grapefruit
Grapefruit
The grapefruit , is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados. When found, it was named the "forbidden fruit"; it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock , one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange The...
s. In its solid form it is usually found as crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
s. As a liquid
Liquid
Liquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...
, it is viscous
Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear or tensile stress. In everyday terms , viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction". Thus, water is "thin", having a lower viscosity, while honey is "thick", having a higher viscosity...
and yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
. Nootkatone is typically extracted from grapefruit
Grapefruit
The grapefruit , is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados. When found, it was named the "forbidden fruit"; it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock , one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange The...
, but can also be manufactured with genetically modified organisms, or through the chemical or biochemical oxidation of valencene
Valencene
Valencene is a sesquiterpene that is an aroma component of citrus fruit and citrus-derived odorants. It is cheaply obtained from Valencia oranges. Valencene is biosynthesized from FPP by the CVS enzyme....
. It is also found in Alaska yellow cedar trees
Callitropsis nootkatensis
Nootka Cypress , formerly Cupressus nootkatensis, Xanthocyparis nootkatensis or Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, is a cypress with a chequered taxonomic and nomenclatural history. This species goes by many common names including Nootka Cypress, Yellow Cypress, and Alaska Cypress...
and vetiver grass.
Uses
Nootkatone in spray form has been shown as an effective repellent/insecticide against deer ticksIxodes scapularis
Ixodes scapularis is commonly known as the deer tick or blacklegged tick , and in some parts of the USA as the bear tick. It is a hard-bodied tick of the eastern and northern Midwestern United States...
and lone star ticks
Amblyomma americanum
Amblyomma americanum, or lone star tick, is a species of tick in the genus Amblyomma. It's average length is 1/4 inch.-Distribution:...
. It is also an effective repellent/insecticide against mosquitos, and may repel bed bugs, head lice and other insects. It is environmentally friendly insecticide, because it is a volatile essential oil that does not persist in the environment. It is nontoxic to humans, is an approved food additive, and "is commonly used in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals".