MOLECULE

perillene

Perillene, also known as perillen, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as monoterpenes. Monoterpenoids are terpenes that contain 10 carbon atoms and are comprised of two isoprene units. The biosynthesis of monoterpenes is known to occur mainly through the methyl-erythritol-phosphate (MEP) pathway in plant cell plastids (PMID: 7640522). Geranyl diphosphate (GPP) is a key intermediate in the biosynthesis of cyclic monoterpenes. GPP undergoes several cyclization reactions to yield a diverse number of cyclic arrangements. Perillene also belongs to the class of organic compounds known as tetrahydrofurans. These are heterocyclic compounds containing a saturated, aliphatic, five-membered ring where a carbon is replaced by an oxygen. Perillene is a neutral, hydrophobic molecule that is insoluble in water. Perillene exists as a clear, colorless oil and has a woody, flowery, citrus aroma or taste. Perillene has been found in several plants and spices including ginger and oregano. It has also been found in the essential oils of other plants, such as Perilla ocimoides (PMID: 17269047), Kenyan Valencia (Citrus sinensis), Australian finger lime (Citrus australasica) peel oil, Neroli (Citrus aurantium) (PMID: 30723488) and Boswellia sacra (PMID: 18830149). Perillene is one of more than 140 monoterpenes that are known in cannabis plants (PMID: 6991645), and the combination of these terpenoids produces the skunky, fruity odor characteristic of C. savita.