butenolide

{{Short description|Class of chemical compounds}}

File:Furan-2-one.svg]]

File:3-methyl-2H-furo-2,3-c-pyran-2-one.png

Butenolides are a class of lactones with a four-carbon heterocyclic ring structure.Joule JA, Mills K. (2000). Heterocyclic Chemistry 4th ed. Blackwell Science Publishing: Oxford, UK They are sometimes considered oxidized derivatives of furan. The simplest butenolide is 2-furanone, which is a common component of larger natural products and is sometimes referred to as simply "butenolide". A common biochemically important butenolide is ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Butenolide derivatives known as karrikins are produced by some plants on exposure to high temperatures due to brush fires. In particular, 3-methyl-2H-furo[2,3-c]pyran-2-one was found to trigger seed germination in plants whose reproduction is fire-dependent.{{cite journal | vauthors = Flematti GR, Ghisalberti EL, Dixon KW, Trengove RD | year = 2004 | title = A compound from smoke that promotes seed germination | journal = Science | volume = 305 | issue = 5686 | pages = 977 | doi = 10.1126/science.1099944 | pmid = 15247439| doi-access = free }}