Allergic contact dermatitis to tulips: An example of enantiospecificity

Summary Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), an immunological reaction of the skin resulting from contact with reactive compounds occurring in plants was shown to the enantiospecific (animals sensitized to a compound do not react to its nonsuperimposable mirror image). Thus, when guinea pigs were experimentally sensitized to (+)-tulipalin B (a compound present in tulip bulbs) they did not react to its enantiomer, (-)-tulipalin B. This was also true for (+)- and (-)--hydroxy--methyl--methylene--butyrolactones.