| Description | Shikimic acid, more commonly known as its anionic form shikimate, is a cyclohexene, a cyclitol and a cyclohexanecarboxylic acid. It is an important biochemical intermediate in plants and microorganisms. Its name comes from the Japanese flower shikimi (the Japanese star anise, Illicium anisatum), from which it was first isolated. Shikimic acid is a precursor for: the aromatic amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine; indole, indole derivatives and tryptophan; many alkaloids and other aromatic metabolites; tannins; and lignin. In pharmaceutical industry, shikimic acid from chinese star anise is used as a base material for production of Tamiflu (oseltamivir). Although shikimic acid is present in most autotrophic organisms, it is a biosynthetic intermediate and generally found in very low concentrations. |
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| InChI Identifier | InChI=1S/C7H10O5/c8-4-1-3(7(11)12)2-5(9)6(4)10/h1,4-6,8-10H,2H2,(H,11,12)/t4-,5-,6-/m1/s1 |
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