Genipin is an aglycone derived from an iridoid glycoside called geniposide present in fruit of Gardenia jasmindides Ellis.

Genipin is an excellent natural cross-linker for proteins, collagen, gelatin, and chitosan cross-linking.

It has a low acute toxicity, with LD50 i.v. 382 mg/kg in mice, therefore, much less toxic than glutaraldehyde and many other commonly used synthetic cross-linking regents. It is also used for pharmaceutical purposes, such as choleretic action for liver diseases control.

Genipin is available for small and large scale production.

Genipin Structure