Furfuryl alcohol

Furfuryl alcohol (CAS 98-00-0) is a small organic compound consisting of a furan ring substituted with a hydroxymethyl group, primarily utilized in the production of furan resins and as a food flavoring agent (PubChem CID 7361). In a biological context, it is not a therapeutic target but a xenobiotic metabolized by alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) and sulfotransferases (SULT) (IARC Monograph Vol 119, 2019). The metabolic activation of furfuryl alcohol by SULT1A1 produces 2-sulfoxymethylfuran, a highly reactive electrophile that forms stable DNA adducts (PubMed: 28801111). These DNA-binding properties contribute to its potential genotoxicity and carcinogenicity, as evidenced by increased incidences of nasal and lung tumors in rodent bioassays (NTP Technical Report 435, 1999). Consequently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified furfuryl alcohol as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). It lacks a clinical mechanism of action as a drug target, and its presence in the human body is typically an indicator of environmental or dietary exposure (EFSA Journal, 2017).

Other names

2-Furylmethanol2-FuranmethanolFuryl alcohol2-Furancarbinol

Not applicable; this is a small molecule chemical/toxicant and not a biological target for therapeutic drugs.