Editing Butylated hydroxytoluene (section)

== Natural occurrence ==
[[Phytoplankton]], including the [[green algae]] ''[[Botryococcus braunii]]'', as well as three different [[cyanobacteria]] (''[[Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii]]'', ''[[Microcystis aeruginosa]]'' and ''[[Oscillatoria]]'' sp.) are capable of producing BHT as a [[natural product]].<ref name="BHTalgae">{{cite journal |vauthors=Babu B, Wu JT |title=Production of Natural Butylated Hydroxytoluene as an Antioxidant by Freshwater Phytoplankton |journal=Journal of Phycology |volume=44 |issue=6 |pages=1447–1454 |date=December 2008 |url= http://ntur.lib.ntu.edu.tw/bitstream/246246/162863/1/22.pdf |doi=10.1111/j.1529-8817.2008.00596.x|pmid=27039859 |bibcode=2008JPcgy..44.1447B |s2cid=26084768 }}</ref> The fruit [[lychee]] also produces BHT in its [[pericarp]].<!-- For this to appear, it needs to be clear which of the preceding sets of isolations this detail applies to: Confirmation was made via  [[gas chromatography–mass spectrometry]] analysis.--><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jiang |first1=G |last2=Lin |first2=S |last3=Wen |first3=L |last4=Jiang |first4=Y |last5=Zhao |first5=M |last6=Chen |first6=F |last7=Prasad |first7=KN |last8=Duan |first8=X |last9=Yang |first9=B |title=Identification of a novel phenolic compound in litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) pericarp and bioactivity evaluation. |journal=Food Chemistry |date=15 January 2013 |volume=136 |issue=2 |pages=563–8 |name-list-style=vanc |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.08.089 |pmid=23122098}}</ref>

Several fungi (for example ''[[Aspergillus conicus]]'') living in olives produce BHT. [[Volatile organic compound]]s such as BHT and odor chemicals are produced by resident fungi when olives are being stored awaiting pressing.<ref>{{cite journal|title = Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) emitted by fungi naturally occurring in olives during their pre-processing storage for improving olive oil stability|first1= Ines|last1= Gharbi|first2= Manel|last2= Issaoui|first3=Sinda|last3= El Gharbi|first4 =Nour-Eddine |last4=Gazzeh|first5= Meriem|last5= Tekeya|first6 =Beligh|last6 = Mechri|first7= Guido|last7= Flamini|first8 =Mohamed |last8=Hammami|journal = European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology |volume = 119|issue = 11|date = 2017|page= 1600343|doi = 10.1002/ejlt.201600343}}</ref>

It has been detected in higher plants and herbivorous insects, but it is not clear whether the BHT is produced by the plant, the insect, or some other organism living in association.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zhao |first1=F |last2=Wang |first2=P |last3=Lucardi |first3=RD |last4=Su |first4=Z |last5=Li |first5=S |title=Natural Sources and Bioactivities of 2,4-Di-Tert-Butylphenol and Its Analogs. |journal=Toxins |date=6 January 2020 |volume=12 |issue=1 |page=35 |doi=10.3390/toxins12010035 |doi-access=free |pmid=31935944}}</ref>