Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

Xanthopterin

Chemical compound From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Remove ads

Xanthopterin is a yellow, crystalline solid[1] that occurs mainly in the wings of butterflies and in the urine of mammals.[1] Small microorganisms convert it into folic acid.[2] It is the end product of a non-conjugated pteridine compound[3] and inhibits the growth of lymphocytes produced by concanavalin.[3] High levels of the chemical were found in patients with liver disease and hemolysis, the latter increasing levels by 35%.[4][5]

Quick Facts Names, Identifiers ...

It was suggested, without direct proof, that the Oriental hornet uses xanthopterin as a light-harvesting molecule to transform light into electrical energy, which explains why the insects are more active when light intensity is greater. It remains an active and controversial area of scientific research (Plotkin et al., Naturwissenschaften (2010) 97:1067–1076).[6]

Remove ads

References

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads