A wide range of organisms synthesize polyynes. These chemicals have various biological activities, including as flavorings and pigments, chemical repellents and toxins, and potential application to biomedical research and pharmaceuticals. In plants, polyynes are found mainly in Campanulid clade, especially in the sunflower, carrot and ginseng and bellflower families. However, they can also be found in some members of the tomato, olax, and sandalwood families. The earliest polyyne to be isolated was dehydromatricaria ester (DME) in 1826, however it was not fully characterized until later.