α-Pinene: A never-ending story

alpha-Pinene represents a member of the monoterpene class and is highly distributed in higher plants like conifers, Juniper ssp. and Cannabis ssp. alpha-Pinene has been used to treat respiratory tract infections for centuries. Furthermore, it plays a crucial role in the fragrance and flavor industry. In vitro assays have shown an enantioselective profile of (+)- and (- )-alpha-pinene for antibacterial and insecticidal activity, respectively. Recent research has used pre-validated biological structures to synthesize new chemical entities with pharmacological and herbicidal activities. In summary, this review focuses on recent literature covering synthetic pathways of flavor compounds and scaffold hopping based on the alpha-pinene core domaine, as well as the (enantioselective) activities of alpha-pinene. Recent approaches for authenticity control of essential oils based on their enantiomeric profile are also presented.

Automated summary

Alpha-pinene, a monoterpene found in higher plants, has been historically used for treating respiratory tract infections and is essential in the fragrance and flavor industry. Recent research focuses on synthesizing new compounds with pharmacological and herbicidal activities based on the alpha-pinene core, as well as investigating the enantioselective activities of alpha-pinene. Furthermore, approaches for authenticity control of essential oils based on their enantiomeric profile are also discussed.