List secondary metabolites of plants and their role overview
Answers
Secondary metabolites (SM) are compounds that are not necessary for a cell (organism) to live, but play a role in the interaction of the cell (organism) with its environment. These compounds are often involved in plants protection against biotic or abiotic stresses. Secondary metabolites are from different metabolites families that can be highly inducible in response to stresses. Primary metabolites perform essential metabolic roles by participating in nutrition and reproduction. A few SMs are used as especially chemical such as drugs, flavours, fragrances, insecticides, and dyes and thus have a great economic value. These new technologies will serve to extend and enhance the continued usefulness of the higher plants as renewal sources of chemicals, especially medicinal compounds. A continuation and intensification efforts in this field is expected to lead to successful biotechnological production of specific, valuable and as yet unknown plant chemicals.