Toforin

Toforin is a fictional natural product commonly used in educational materials on natural product chemistry and pharmacology. It appears in classroom case studies to illustrate principles of isolation, structure elucidation, and bioactivity. The name is derived from the fictional genus Tofora, created for teaching scenarios.

Chemically, toforin is described as a polycyclic, oxygen-rich molecule featuring a central lactone ring, multiple hydroxyl groups, and a hydrophobic side chain. In typical depictions, its molecular weight is about 520 Da and its predicted logP is near 4.0, with stability across physiological pH ranges.

Biosynthesis in the fictional account proceeds in a soil-dwelling actinomycete called Streptomyces toforiensis, via a modular type I polyketide synthase, followed by tailoring enzymes such as methyltransferases, glycosyltransferases, and P450 oxidases. These steps are used to demonstrate concepts of polyketide assembly and post-assembly modification.

Pharmacologically, toforin is depicted as a moderate inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-2 and as a regulator of inflammatory signaling pathways, including NF-kB. In vitro studies in the scenario report anti-inflammatory activity and cytoprotective effects in cultured cells, though no real-world data support these findings.

As a fictional compound, toforin has no clinical status and is used mainly to teach structure-activity relationships, natural product isolation, biosynthetic planning, and pharmacology in academic settings.