Dihydroactinidiolide is a
volatile terpene with chemical formula C11H16O2 and CAS number
15356-74-8. It has a sweet, tea-like odor and is used as a fragrance.
Dihydroactinidiolide occurs naturally in black tea, fenugreek, fire
ants, mangos, silver vine, and tobacco.
As with
nepetalactone, found in
catnip,
dihydroactinidiolide is a
cat attractant. Cultivators of silver vine (which contains another such
chemical, actinidine)
sometimes find their plants destroyed by enthusiastic
cats.
