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Plants are capable of producing and synthesizing diverse groups of organic compounds and are divided into two major groups: primary and secondary metabolites. [9] Secondary metabolites are metabolic intermediates or products which are not essential to growth and life of the producing plants but rather required for interaction of plants with their environment and produced in response to stress.
Plants synthesize certain compounds called secondary metabolites which are not naturally produced by humans but can play vital roles in protection or destruction of human health. One such group of metabolites is phytoestrogens , found in nuts, oilseeds, soy, and other foods. [ 17 ]
Secondary metabolism (also called specialized metabolism) is a term for pathways and small molecule products of metabolism that are involved in ecological interactions, but are not absolutely required for the survival of the organism. These molecules are sometimes produced by specialized cells, such as laticifers in plants. [1]
They are the largest class of plant secondary metabolites, representing about 60% of known natural products. [3] Many terpenoids have substantial pharmacological bioactivity and are therefore of interest to medicinal chemists. [4] Plant terpenoids are used for their aromatic qualities and play a role in traditional herbal remedies.
Phytochemicals (from Greek phyto, meaning "plant") are chemicals produced by plants through primary or secondary metabolism. [2] [3] They generally have biological activity in the plant host and play a role in plant growth or defense against competitors, pathogens, or predators. [2]
Molecular structure of the flavone backbone (2-phenyl-1,4-benzopyrone) Isoflavan structure Neoflavonoids structure. Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word flavus, meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans.
Antifeedants are organic compounds produced by plants to repel herbivores through distaste or toxicity. These chemical compounds are typically classified as secondary metabolites in that they are not essential for the metabolism of the plant, but instead confer longevity.
Plants synthesize a variety of phytochemicals, but most are derivatives: [9] Alkaloids are a class of chemical compounds containing a nitrogen ring. Alkaloids are produced by a large variety of organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals, and are part of the group of natural products (also called secondary metabolites).