Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 26, 2026

Variegatorubin

Variegatorubin is a pulvinic acid derivative. It is a red pigment that is present in many members of the Boletales, an order of the division Basidiomycota. It is generated from the oxidation of variegatic acid. Bolete species that contain variegatorubin include Neoboletus luridiformis, Chalciporus piperatus, Rhizopogon roseolus, Exsudoporus frostii, Suillellus luridus, Rubroboletus rhodoxanthus, and R. satanas. Variegatorubin was discovered by Wolfgang Steglich and colleagues, and described as a new compound in 1970.

Last revised
Jul 26, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
199 w
Citations
2
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Variegatorubin
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Names
IUPAC name
(3E)-3-[4-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-5-oxo-2(5H)-furanylidene]-5,6-dihydroxy-1-benzofuran-2(3H)-one
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
  • InChI=1S/C18H10O9/c19-8-2-1-6(3-9(8)20)13-15(23)16(27-17(13)24)14-7-4-10(21)11(22)5-12(7)26-18(14)25/h1-5,19-23H/b16-14+
    Key: UMIYSJROYJXHSW-JQIJEIRASA-N
  • InChI=1/C18H10O9/c19-8-2-1-6(3-9(8)20)13-15(23)16(27-17(13)24)14-7-4-10(21)11(22)5-12(7)26-18(14)25/h1-5,19-23H/b16-14+
    Key: UMIYSJROYJXHSW-JQIJEIRABG
  • c1cc(c(cc1C2=C(/C(=C\3/c4cc(c(cc4OC3=O)O)O)/OC2=O)O)O)O
Properties
C18H10O9
Molar mass 370.267
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Variegatorubin is a pulvinic acid derivative. It is a red pigment that is present in many members of the Boletales, an order of the division Basidiomycota. It is generated from the oxidation of variegatic acid. Bolete species that contain variegatorubin include Neoboletus luridiformis, Chalciporus piperatus, Rhizopogon roseolus, Exsudoporus frostii, Suillellus luridus, Rubroboletus rhodoxanthus, and R. satanas.1 Variegatorubin was discovered by Wolfgang Steglich and colleagues, and described as a new compound in 1970.2

References

References

  1. Gill, M.; Steglich, W. (2012). Pigments of Fungi (Macromycetes). Progress in the Chemistry of Organic Natural Products. Vol. 51. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 1–297 (see p. 35). ISBN 978-3-7091-6971-1.
  2. Steglich, W.; Furtner, W.; Prox, A. (1970). "Variegatorubin, an oxidation product of variegatic acid from Suillus piperatus (Bull. ex Fr.) O. Kuntze and other Boletaceae". Zeitschrift für Naturforschung B. 5: 557. doi:10.1515/znb-1970-0529. S2CID 95770276.