Moronic acid

IBDP Teacher Blogs, Chemistry | February 28, 2011
Moronic acid

If you have just been on your half term holiday – welcome back!

I have decided to dedicate the next few blog posting to molecules with unusual names.

First up, is moronic acid.

By Edgar181 (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Moronhic acid has the unbelievably complicated IUPAC name:

4aS,6aR,6aS,6bR,8aS,12aS,14aS)- 2,2,6a,6b,9,9,12a-heptamethyl- 10-oxo-4,5,6,6a,7,8,8a,11,12, 13,14,14a-dodecahydro-3H- picene-4a-carboxylic acid (!)

It is extracted from the Chinese sumac or nutgall tree, Rhus chinensis.The plant is traditionally believed to hold medicinal appplications.

By KENPEI (KENPEI’s photo) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.1 jp (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.1/jp/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons

One of its derivatives has been shown to be a particularly potent with HIV and the herpes simplex virus.

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