| Description |
(-)-menthone, also known as P-menthan-3-one or (2s,5r)-2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexanone, is a member of the class of compounds known as menthane monoterpenoids. Menthane monoterpenoids are monoterpenoids with a structure based on the o-, m-, or p-menthane backbone. P-menthane consists of the cyclohexane ring with a methyl group and a (2-methyl)-propyl group at the 1 and 4 ring position, respectively. The o- and m- menthanes are much rarer, and presumably arise by alkyl migration of p-menthanes. Thus, (-)-menthone is considered to be an isoprenoid lipid molecule (-)-menthone is practically insoluble (in water) and an extremely weak basic (essentially neutral) compound (based on its pKa). (-)-menthone is a fresh, green, and minty tasting compound and can be found in a number of food items such as lemon, kai-lan, babassu palm, and linden, which makes (-)-menthone a potential biomarker for the consumption of these food products (-)-menthone exists in all eukaryotes, ranging from yeast to humans. |
