The phrase "a key compound in" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the significance or role of a specific compound in a particular context, such as in chemistry, biology, or nutrition.
Example: "Cholesterol is a key compound in the formation of cell membranes and hormones."
Alternatives: "an essential component in" or "a crucial element in".
Aniline is an important raw material for the synthesis of more than 300 different end products industrially, aniline is mainly used for the production of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), a key compound in the production of polyurethane rigid and/or semi-rigid foams and elastomers.
Similar DNA adducts are also formed endogenously, possibly by S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), which is a key compound in transmethylation, aminopropylation, and transsulfuration metabolic pathways within cells.
Pilsner et al. [ 10] suggested that ROS generated by arecoline, a key compound in areca nut, may be responsible for the higher incidence of tremor and skin lesions in betel quid chewers.
The pteridine pathway is found in both plants and animals and a key compound in the pathway, tetrahydrobiopterin, acts as an essential cofactor in the degradation of phenylalanine and the synthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin, melatonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine [ 27].
The highly reactive α-oxoaldehyde methylglyoxal (MG) is a key compound involved in the generation of AGEs.
It was long believed that AGEs only accumulate very slowly on long-lived extracellular proteins, but new research has elucidated the significance of very fast AGE formation on cellular and short-lived extracellular proteins, lipids and DNA, with the highly reactive methylglyoxal (MGO) as a key compound involved in the very fast generation of glycation adducts [ 3].
Eating fruit and vegetables that are high in a key compound – such as apples, pears, blueberries, strawberries and radishes – may help prevent weight gain.
Using this combined phenotypic screening, instead of the traditional target-based approach, they were not only able to discover a key compound targeting similar conserved pathways in yeast and humans, but also uncover the molecular network that alleviates the toxic effects of α-synuclein.
Since small time chemists have been unable to readily replace that key compound in their recipes, it's become increasingly difficult to compete with the high purity, low cost product the cartels have released on the black market.
Key compounds in a static cidal assay showed an unusual biphasic nature, giving two points of inflection on the dose response curve.
One of the key compounds in green tea is Epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, a potent antioxidant thought of by some as a sort of kryptonite to body fat.
