Kinetin

What is kinetin?

Kinetin is an essential plant growth factor that regulates various aspects of cellular growth and differentiation (R), such as leaf yellowing and senescence, and fruit ripening and degradation (R). Once believed to be a synthetic plant hormone, kinetin is now most well-known as a component of coconut water (R).

Kinetin also exists naturally in the DNA of many organisms' cells, including human cells, calf thymus, and plant cell extracts (R, R). It has been proposed that kinetin is formed in DNA in vivo first by oxidation of deoxyribose to yield furfural, which then reacts with the amino group of adenine, giving rise to kinetin (R).

Does kinetin get absorbed?

Kinetin's low molecular weight of 215.21 daltons suggests that it should be able to penetrate the stratum corneum (R), but we could not find any studies investigating the absorption of topically applied kinetin into the skin.