The monoterpene 伪-thujone [(+)-3-thujone], and its diastereomer, 尾-thujone, occur in several plants, such as arborvitae (genus Thuja), mugwort, common sage, wormwood, and some junipers. 伪-罢丑耻箩辞苍别, and to a lesser extent the 尾-isomer, is a 纬-aminobutyric acid (GABA) antagonist and can cause brain neurons to fire easily, causing muscle spasms and convulsions. It has been implicated in unusual behaviors attributed to the wormwood oil鈥揻lavored liqueur absinthe, but recent聽聽have shown that the thujone concentration in absinthe is too small to cause toxic effects.
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