Formula C9H10O5 Boiling point 379.5 °C | Molar mass 198.17 g/mol Pubchem 10742 | |
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Syringic acid is a naturally occurring O-methylated trihydroxybenzoic acid, a type of chemical compound.
Contents
Natural occurrences
Syringic acid can be found in Ardisia elliptica.
Synthesis
Syringic acid can be prepared by selectively hydrolyzing (demethylating) eudesmic acid with 20% sulfuric acid.
Presence in food
Syringic acid can be found in the açaí palm (Euterpe oleracea) and its oil (1,073 ± 62 mg/kg).
It is also present in wine. Its presence in the ancient Egyptian drink shedeh could confirm it was made out of grape, as syringic acid is released by the breakdown of the compound malvidin, also found in red wine. It is also found in vinegar.
Applications
Syringic acid can be enzymatically polymerised. Laccase and peroxidase induced the polymerization of syringic acid to give a poly(1,4-phenylene oxide) bearing a carboxylic acid at one end and a phenolic hydroxyl group at the other.