Classification

BIOCHEMISTRY 3(2+1)

Classification

Secondary metabolites can be classified by their chemical structure or physical properties into one or more of the following groups: alkaloids, terpenoids, polyketides, aliphatic, aromatic, and heteroaromatic organic acids, phenols, iridoids, steroids, saponins, peptides, ethereal oils, resins and balsams.

Most of the secondary metabolites of interest to humankind fit into categories which classify secondary metabolites based on their biosynthetic origin. Since secondary metabolites are often created by modified primary metabolite synthases, or "borrow" substrates of primary metabolite origin, these categories should not be interpreted as saying that all molecules in the category are secondary metabolites (for example the steroid category), but rather that there are secondary metabolites in these categories

Alkaloids

Codeine | Morphine | Cocaine | Tetrodotoxin | Atropine

Flavonoids

Naringenin | Genistein

Terpenoids

Azadirachtin, (Neem tree) tetrahydrocannabinol, present in cannabis sativa

Steroids (Terpenes with a particular ring structure)

Saponins (plant steroids, often glycosylated)

Monoterpenoids

Limonene | Pinene

Diterpenoids

Taxol, Pimaradiene

Antibiotics

Penicillin | Streptomycin | Tetracycline

Glycosides (heavily modified sugar molecules)

Glucosinolates

Phenols:

Resveratrol

Phenazines:

Pyocyanin

Non-"small molecules" - DNA, RNA, ribosome, or polysaccharide "classical" biopolymers

Ribosomal peptides: Microcin-J25


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Last modified: Saturday, 28 January 2012, 5:49 AM