A carbon-13 biosynthetic study of stress metabolites from carrot roots: eugenin and 6-methoxymellein

Abstract

Sodium [1,2-13C2]acetate was readily incorporated into the stress compounds 6-methoxymellein (I) and eugenin (III) after their formation in carrot roots had been induced by treatment with ethrel. The complete incorporation patterns were revealed by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and confirm a polyketide origin for both metabolites. In the formation of the heterocycle of eugenin, two different C atoms are utilized to the same extent. This implies that an intermediate on the biosynthetic pathway is not firmly enzyme bound.