MOLECULE

alpha-Cubebene

Alpha-cubebene, also known as cubebene, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as sesquiterpenoids. These are terpenes that contain 15 carbon atoms and are comprised of three isoprene units. The biosynthesis of sesquiterpenes is known to occur mainly through the mevalonic acid pathway (MVA; PMID:17467679), in the cytoplasm. However, recent studies have found evidence of pathway crosstalk with the methyl-eritritol-phosphate (MEP) pathway in the cytosol (PMID: 23746261). Farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) is a key intermediate in the biosynthesis of cyclic sesquiterpenes. FPP undergoes several cyclization reactions to yield a diverse number of cyclic arrangements..Alpha-Cubebene is one of the two Cubebene isomers, α- and β-cubebene, both with the molecular formula C15H24, but differ only in the position of a double bond which is endocyclic (part of the five-membered ring) in α-cubebene and exocyclic in β-cubebene. It was first isolated from Piper cubeba berries, known as cubebs, from which the name was derived. The volatile oil distilled from cubebs is a pale green or blue-yellow viscous liquid with a warm woody, slightly camphoraceous odor (consisting of both α- and β-cubebene). In addition to cubeb berries, alpha-cubebene is also found in clove buds, fruit and seeds, cypress, lemon, lime, rosemary and tea tree oils and mandarins and oranges ( http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/rw1054531.html#tooccur). Alpha-Cubebene is one of many terpenoids that are found in Cannabis plants (PMID: 6991645).