Valencene received its name from Valencia oranges, which have an especially sweet citrus flavor. The terpene is also present in grapefruits and tangerines. Manufacturers often use valencene to give a citrus aroma to cleaning products. Valencene is renowned for its ability to repel insects, reduce inflammation, and fight skin cancer.
Valencene is a sesquiterpene that is an aroma component of citrus fruit and citrus-derived odorants. It is obtained inexpensively from Valencia oranges. Valencene is biosynthesized from farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) by the CVS enzyme.
| Names | |
|---|---|
| IUPAC name 4α,5α-Eremophila-1(10),11-diene | |
| Systematic IUPAC name (3R,4aS,5R)-4a,5-Dimethyl-3-(prop-1-en-2-yl)-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,7-octahydronaphthalene | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) | |
| ChEBI | |
| ChemSpider | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.022.770 |
PubChem CID | |
| UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
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| Properties | |
| C15H24 | |
| Molar mass | 204.357 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | colorless oil |
| Boiling point | 123 °C (253 °F; 396 K) at 11 mmHg |
| organic solvents | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
It is used as a precursor to nootkatone, the main contributor to the aroma and flavor of grapefruit.
English
Etymology
From Valencia + -ene, after the variety of orange.
Noun
valencene (uncountable)
- (organic chemistry) The sesquiterpene octahydro-1,8a-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethenyl)naphthalene, which has a citrus aroma





