Limonoids are phytochemicals of the triterpenoid class which are abundant in sweet or sour-scented citrus fruit and other plants of the families Cucurbitaceae, Rutaceae, and Meliaceae.[1] Certain limonoids are antifeedants such as azadirachtin from the neem tree.[2]
Chemically, the limonoids consist of variations of the furanolactone core structure. The prototypical structure consists of four six-membered rings and a furan ring. Limonoids are classed as tetranortriterpenes.
- ^ Amit Roy and Shailendra Saraf (2006). "Limonoids: Overview of Significant Bioactive Triterpenes Distributed in Plants Kingdom". Biol. Pharm. Bull. 29 (2): 191–201. doi:10.1248/bpb.29.191. PMID 16462017.
- ^ Donald E.Champagne; Opender Koul; Murray B. Isman; Geoffrey G. E.Scudder; G. H. Neil Towers (1992). "Biological activity of limonoids from the rutales". Phytochemistry. 31 (2): 377–394. doi:10.1016/0031-9422(92)90003-9.