MOLECULE

(+)-beta-Selinene

β-Selinene or (+)-β-Selinene, also known as beta-eudesmene or b-selinene, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as eudesmane, isoeudesmane or cycloeudesmane sesquiterpenoids. These are sesquiterpenoids with a structure based on the eudesmane skeleton. Sesquiterpenoides 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), in the cytosol. However, recent studies have found evidence of pathway crosstalk with the methyl-eritritol-phosphate (MEP) pathway in the plastid (PMID: 19932496, 17710406). 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. (+)-β-Selinene is a very hydrophobic molecule, practically insoluble in water, but readily soluble in organic solvents such as methanol and ethanol. The selinenes share the molecular formula C15H24 and they have been isolated from a variety of plant sources. β-Selinene has been detected in cannabis plants and their essential oils (PMID: 26836472, 26657499). There are four known selinene isomers including α-, β-, γ-, and δ-Selinene. α-Selinene and β-selinene are the most common and are two of the principal components of the oil from celery seeds. γ-Selinene and δ-selinene are less common.