plant biochem: secondary products Flashcards
1
Q
basic or primary products
A
occur in all plant cells and are necessary for cell or organism survival
2
Q
secondary products
A
usually found only in specialized, differentiated cells and are produced in relatively small amounts
- not necessary for cell survival but benefit the plant
- important medicinally
- they often are physiologically active and/ or have psychoactive effects
3
Q
plants produces diversity of chemically complex secondary products
A
utilizing biosynthetic pathways
- serve many functions in plants: detoxifiers, neutralizing waste prods and toxins
- provide a chemical defence against herbivores, insect pests, fungal bacterial and viral pathogens and even other plants
- some are attractants, luring flower pollinators and fruit disperses with desirable colours and scents
4
Q
many of the secondary products produced by plants and fungi are pharmacologically active
A
they may serve as hormones, anti-cancer agents, antibiotics, narcotics, stimulants, depressants, antihistamines, hallucinogens, poisons and pesticieds
5
Q
three major groups
A
alkaloids
terpenoids
phenolics
6
Q
alkaloids
A
contain N-usually in a heterocyclic ring
- many bitter-tasting and toxic, making it likely they evolved as anti-herbivore and antibiotic defenses
- a large number of plant alkaloids are pharmacologically active, many have med application, while others are poisonous or hallucinogenic
7
Q
terpenoids
A
- plant hydrocarbons
- built from 2-5 C isoprene units
- many scented volatile or essential oils and have med and antibiotic properties
- terpenoid glycosides are organic compounds consisting of sugars attached to non sugar terpenoids (aglycones)
- cardiac glycosides- stimulating effect on the heart
- saponin or steroidal glycosides, yield mammalian hormone precursors
8
Q
phenolics
A
- aromatic ring to which is attached one or more hydroxyl (OH) groups
- plant pigments (anthocyanins, flavonoids_, plant poisons and a number of important med drugs
