MOLECULE

Nonanal

Nonanal, also known as nonyl aldehyde or pelargonaldehyde, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as medium-chain aldehydes. These are an aldehyde with a chain length containing between 6 and 12 carbon atoms. It is a fatty aldehyde lipid molecule. Nonanal, a colourless, oily liquid, is a very hydrophobic molecule, practically insoluble in water, and relatively neutral. Nonanal exists in all eukaryotes, from yeast to humans. Nonanal has an aldehydic, citrus, and fat taste. Nonanal is found in highest concentration in corns, tea, and gingers and in lower concentrations in sweet oranges, carrots, and limes. It has also been detected in olives, cereals and cereal products, Chinese cinnamons, common grapes, and oats, making nonanal a potential biomarker for the consumption of these foods. Nonanal is also a component of cannabis plants (PMID: 6991645). Although it occurs in several natural oils, it is produced commercially by hydroformylation of 1-octene (doi:10.1002/14356007.a01_321.pub2). Nonanal, an odorant of humans and birds, attracts Culex mosquitoes, which have extremely sensitive olfactory neurons in their antennae ( PMID: 19858490) for nonanal. Nonanal has been associated with several diseases such as pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, autism (PMID: 24130822), Crohn's disease (PMID: 26071410), ulcerative colitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (PMID: 23454028).