Perilla ketone is a natural terpenoid that consists of a furan ring with a six-carbon side chain containing a ketone functional group. It is a colorless oil that is sensitive to oxygen, becoming colored upon standing. The ketone was identified in 1943 by Sebe as the main component of the essential oil of Perilla frutescens.[1] Perilla ketone is present in the leaves and seeds of purple mint (Perilla frutescens), which is toxic to some animals.[2] When cattle and horses consume purple mint when grazing in fields in which it grows, the perilla ketone causes pulmonary edema leading to a condition sometimes called perilla mint toxicosis.[2]
Perilla ketone was synthesized in 1957 by Matsuura from 3-furoyl chloride and an organocadmium compound similar to the Gilman reagent made from an isoamyl Grignard reagent and cadmium chloride.[3] Perilla ketone has also been prepared in 74% yield via the Stille reaction from a 3-furyl-organotin compound and isocaproyl chloride in tetrahydrofuran solvent.[4]