guaiacol

Guaiacol is a naturally occurring phenolic compound with the chemical formula C7H8O2. It is a monomethoxybenzene, functionally related to catechol, and is present in wood smoke as a product of lignin pyrolysis. Medicinally, guaiacol has been used as an expectorant, antiseptic, and local anesthetic. It has also been used in traditional dental pulp sedation and for treating lung abscesses and reflux esophagitis. Guaiacol acts as a potent scavenger of reactive oxygen radicals and can induce cell proliferation; its radical scavenging activity may be associated with this effect. Mechanistically, it inhibits shikimate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.25) and has been shown to competitively inhibit glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1) and glycogen synthase 2 (GYS2), which may have therapeutic implications for diseases involving polyglucosan bodies such as adult polyglucosan body disease (APBD). Guaiacol is also used industrially as an intermediate in the synthesis of vanillin[1][2][3][4][5][6].

Other names

1-hydroxy-2-methoxybenzene2-methoxyl-4-vinylphenol2-methoxyphenolo-guaiacolo-hydroxyanisoleo-methoxyphenolpyrocatechol monomethyl etherpyroguaiac acid