Guaiacol CAS:90-05-1

Guaiacol is a phenolic natural product first isolated from Guaiac resin and the oxidation of lignin. Guaiacol is readily oxidized by the heme iron of peroxidases including the peroxidase of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. It therefore serve as a reducing co-substrate for COX reactions.1 The color yield per peroxide at 470 nm is 6,650 (M peroxide reduced)-1 cm-1.2,3,4 Two moles of guaiacol are oxidized for each mole of hydroperoxide reduced by the peroxidase. The resulting guaiacol chromophore can be used for the colorimetric determination of hydroperoxidase activity.

Guaiacol is a precursor to various flavorants, such as eugenol and vanillin.An estimated 85% of the worlds supply of vanillin comes from guaiacol. The route entails condensation of glyoxylic acid with guaiacol to give mandelic acid, which is oxidized to produce a phenylglyoxylic acid. This acid undergoes a decarboxylation to afford vanillin.