Δ-Cadinol
# Δ-Cadinol

δ-Cadinol is an organic compound, a sesquiterpenoid alcohol produced by many plants as well as some animals and microorganisms. It is a white crystalline solid, soluble in isopropyl ether and ethanol. It is an epimer of α-cadinol.

δ-Cadinol exists in nature as either of two enantiomers distinguished by the prefixes (+)- and (−)-. The (+)-isomer was identified by E. Shinozaki in 1922 from the leaves of Torreya nucifera and originally named torreyol. The (−)-isomer was isolated in 1951 by Haagen-Smit and others from Pinus albicaulus and first called albicaulol. Its structure was determined in 1970 by Lars Westfelt. Other names were given to δ-cadinol based on its various biological sources before the structures were confirmed, including sesquigoyol for (+)-δ-cadinol and pilgerol for (−)-δ-cadinol. Lambertol is thought to be either (+)-δ-cadinol or (−)-δ-cadinol. Cedrelanol was originally thought to be identical to (−)-δ-cadinol but was later confirmed to have the structure of τ-cadinol.

## Occurrence

δ-Cadinol is produced by the fungus Xylobolus frustulatus as long white needles when grown in malt agar medium. It also occurs in many conifers, and in many other organisms including

* Achillea millefolium (6%)
* Cedrela odorata
* Clitocybe illudens (a mushroom)
* Copaifera multijuga (1%; a major contributor to the aroma of copaiba oil)
* Dictyopteris divaricata (a brown alga)
* Plebejus argyrognomon (a butterfly; acts as a pheromone)
