Polyenes are organic compounds with alternating single and double bond carbon atoms. Fatty acids and natural dyes are produced using polyenes. Polyenes are formed through the conjugation process, and beta carotene is a common conjugated organic compound. Polyenes are also used to fight fungal infections.
A polyene is an organic compound that contains two or more sequences of alternating single and double bond carbon atoms. A double polyene is called a diene, a triple is a triene, and one with four sequences is a tetraene. The term polyene is also used to refer to all antifungal antibiotics. They are also used to produce fatty acids and natural dyes.
To be a polyene, a fatty acid or organic compound must be unsaturated or polyunsaturated. This means that the carbon atoms present in the fatty acid have at least one instance where one of the carbon atoms has a double bond connecting it to another carbon atom. There may also be cases where those bonds are triple bonds. Each double or triple bond reduces the amount of hydrogen molecules or other particles a carbon atom can connect with by one and two, respectively.
For a molecule to be an organic compound, carbon must be present. A polyene is formed through the conjugation process. This is a chemical reaction in which the p orbitals of atoms are connected by delocalized electrons. To be considered conjugation, these bonds must be alternating single and double bonds. If the carbon atoms (C) were placed in a straight line, a diene would look like -C=CC=C- and a triene would look like -C=CC=CC=C-.
Fatty acids are a common form of polyene. They are a type of carboxylic acid used in the metabolic process to create cellular energy through the process of fatty acid breakdown. Fatty acids are often digested and absorbed through the intestines, where they are stored in adipose tissue until needed.
Beta carotene is another conjugated organic compound. It is used as an orange-red pigment and is commonly found in fruits and vegetables. It’s why carrots are orange. It can be separated from fruits or vegetables by column chromatography and is a source of pro-vitamin A. Excessive use of beta carotene is linked to orange skin tones and more serious health risks when combined with activities such as smoking .
Polyenes such as Nystatin and Amphotericin are two of many types of polyenes used to fight fungal infections. They are also the most effective. First studied in the 1950s, antifungal antibiotics, known as polyene antifungals, make fungal cell membranes more permeable to harmful ions and molecules. Amphotericin B is used to fight life-threatening yeast infections, but some fungal infections such as trichosporane are immune to its effects.
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