Heneicosane Explained

Heneicosane is the organic compound with the formula CH3(CH2)19CH3. It is the straight chain, saturated C21 hydrocarbon. It is a white wax.

Natural occurrence

Heneicosane is used as a pheromone by the queen or king termites in the species Reticulitermes flavipes.[1] It also attracts mosquitoes in the genus Aedes and can be used in mosquito baits.[2] This works in nature as the hydrocarbon is produced in the skin of the larva. A 1:100000 fraction in water is the most attractive, but if the concentration is 1:1000 then mosquitoes are repelled instead.[3] Heneicosane is one of the major components of the safflower flower essential oil (Carthamus tinctorius).[4] All parts of the plant Periploca laevigata contain heneicosane.[5] Rosa damascena flower essential oil contains 5% heneicosane.[6] Sambucus nigra contains 2.3%.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Termite queen, king recognition pheromone identified. 21 March 2018. 19 March 2018.
  2. Kumar. P. Lomash. V. Jatav. PC. Kumar. A. Pant. SC. Prenatal developmental toxicity study of n-heneicosane in Wistar rats.. Toxicology and Industrial Health. January 2016. 32. 1. 118–25. 10.1177/0748233713498438. 24060842. 2016ToxIH..32..118K. 206543815.
  3. Seenivasagan. T. Sharma. KR. Sekhar. K. Ganesan. K. Prakash. S. Vijayaraghavan. R. Electroantennogram, flight orientation, and oviposition responses of Aedes aegypti to the oviposition pheromone n-heneicosane.. Parasitology Research. March 2009. 104. 4. 827–33. 10.1007/s00436-008-1263-2. 19018567. 6880282.
  4. Asgarpanah. J. Kazemivash. N. Phytochemistry, pharmacology and medicinal properties of Carthamus tinctorius L.. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine. February 2013. 19. 2. 153–9. 10.1007/s11655-013-1354-5. 23371463. 386921.
  5. Zito. P. Sajeva. M. Bruno. M. Rosselli. S. Maggio. A. Senatore. F. Essential oils composition of Periploca laevigata Aiton subsp. angustifolia (Labill.) Markgraf (Apocynaceae-Periplocoideae).. Natural Product Research. 2013. 27. 3. 255–65. 10.1080/14786419.2012.671319. 22439883. 205838364.
  6. Sadraei. H. Asghari. G. Emami. S. Inhibitory effect of Rosa damascena Mill flower essential oil, geraniol and citronellol on rat ileum contraction.. Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences. January 2013. 8. 1. 17–23. 24459472. 3895296.

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