2,3-Dihydroxybenzoic acid
2,3-Dihydroxybenzoic acid is a dihydroxybenzoic acid, a type of organic compound. It occurs naturally in various plants, bacteria, and fungi.
Uses
It is a potentially useful iron-chelating drug and has antimicrobial properties.Occurrence
It is found in Phyllanthus acidus and in the aquatic fern Salvinia molesta. It is also abundant in the fruits of Flacourtia inermis.The colorless solid occurs naturally, being formed via the shikimate pathway. It is incorporated into various siderophores, which are molecules that strongly complex iron ions for absorption into bacteria. 2,3-DHB consists of a catechol group, which upon deprotonation binds iron centers very strongly, and the carboxylic acid group by which the ring attaches to various scaffolds through amide bonds. A famous high affinity siderophore is enterochelin, which contains three dihydroxybenzoyl substituents linked to the depsipeptide of serine.
2,3-Dihydroxybenzoic acid is also a product of human aspirin metabolism.