Butenolide

  Butenolides are a class of lactones with a four-carbon heterocyclic ring structure. They are sometimes considered oxidized derivatives of furan. The simplest butenolide is 2-furanone, which is a common component of larger natural products and is sometimes referred to as simply "butenolide". A common biochemically important butenolide is ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Butenolide derivatives are produced by some plants on exposure to high temperatures due to brush fires; these compounds can trigger seed germination in plants whose reproduction is fire-dependent.

References

1. Joule JA, Mills K. (2000). Heterocyclic Chemistry 4th ed. Blackwell Science Publishing: Oxford, UK.
2. Flematti GR, Ghisalberti EL, Dixon KW, Trengove RD. (2004). A compound from smoke that promotes seed germination. Science 305(5686):977.