MOLECULE

(+)-Pinoresinol

(+)-Pinoresinol or pinoresinol, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as furanoid lignans. These are lignans with a structure that contains either a tetrahydrofuran ring, a furan ring, or a furofuan ring system, that arises from the joining of the two phenylpropanoid units. Pinoresinol is a naturally occurring lignan found in several different plant species, such as Styrax sp., Forsythia suspensa and in Cannabis sativa (PMID: 26870049). Pinoresinol is also found in sesame seeds, in brassica vegetables and in olive oil. Pinoresinol, along with other plant lignans, are converted into enterolignans by intestinal microflora in the human body (PMID:15877880). It has also been found in the caterpillar of the cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapae, where it serves as a defence against ants (PMID: 17030818).