Biomimetic access to yellow pigment found in red sandalwood
Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - 07:30
in Paleontology & Archaeology
The sandalwood tree (Pterocarpus santalinus) provides a durable timber that is used in Asia both as a source of incense and as the basis for devotional figurines, chess-pieces, and prayer beads. The characteristic red color of this precious hardwood is due to the presence of several complex secondary metabolites, such as the santalins and santarubins.