indole

[in-dohl]

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless to yellowish solid, C 8 H 7 N, having a low melting point and a fecal odor, found in the oil of jasmine and clove and as a putrefaction product from animals' intestines: used in perfumery and as a reagent.

indole

/ ˈɪndəʊl, -dɒl, ˈɪndəʊl /

noun

1. a white or yellowish crystalline heterocyclic compound extracted from coal tar and used in perfumery, medicine, and as a flavouring agent; 1-benzopyrrole. Formula: C 8 H 7 N

indole

1. A white crystalline compound obtained from coal tar or various plants and produced by the bacterial decomposition of tryptophan in the intestine. It is used in the perfume industry and as a reagent. Chemical formula: C ₈ H ₇ N.

2. Any of various derivatives of this compound.

Word History and Origins

Origin of indole¹

First recorded in 1865–70; ind- + -ole ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of indole¹

C19: from _ind ( _igo ) + _-ole ¹

Example Sentences

Three metabolites known to play a role in mood regulation -- anserine, indole-3-carboxylate, and deoxyinosine -- were reduced by the cafeteria diet but rebounded with exercise.

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The protective effects of exercise on anserine, indole-3-carboxylate, and deoxyinosine levels suggest these compounds may serve as biomarkers or even therapeutic agents for mood disorders.

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The paper concludes that "blockade of indole generation may present a unique therapeutic pathway" for rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis.

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"We put mice on antibiotics to wipe out their microbiome, and they didn't get arthritis, and they didn't have indole," she says.

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"So we said, OK, what if they do have a microbiome and we put them on a diet with little tryptophan? The microbiome can't break down tryptophan into indole, and the mice didn't get arthritis. So two different ways, we showed that it's tryptophan that's broken down by the microbiome into indole."

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