Phytochemistry is the branch of plant science concerned with the chemical constituents of plants, their occurrence, distribution, structural characteristics, biosynthesis, accumulation, transformation, and biological activities [1][2]. Its subject matter includes primary metabolites required for plant growth and cellular function, as well as specialized metabolites—often termed secondary metabolites—such as alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids [3][4]. Phytochemical investigation commonly involves the preparation and extraction of plant material, chromatographic separation, spectroscopic or spectrometric characterization, quantitative analysis, and evaluation of biological activity. The field addresses chemical variation among plant taxa, tissues, developmental stages, environmental conditions, and geographic populations, together with the metabolic pathways responsible for the formation and modification of plant constituents [2][5]. Within the taxonomy of phytochemistry and biological activities, the term includes the integrated study of plant-derived molecules and the biological properties associated with those molecules, including their ecological, physiological, pharmacological, toxicological, and antimicrobial activities [1][4].
- Plant metabolites
- specialized metabolites
- phytochemical analysis
- plant natural products
References
- Richard A Dixon; Alexandra Jazz Dickinson; A century of studying plant secondary metabolism—From “what?” to “where, how, and why?”. Plant Physiol. 2024, 195, 48-66, 10.1093/plphys/kiad596.
- Louis-Valentin Méteignier; Hans-Wilhelm Nützmann; Nicolas Papon; Anne Osbourn; Vincent Courdavault; Emerging mechanistic insights into the regulation of specialized metabolism in plants. Nat. Plants 2022, 9, 22-30, 10.1038/s41477-022-01288-7.
- R. Upadhyay; R. Saini; P. K. Shukla; K. N. Tiwari; Role of secondary metabolites in plant defense mechanisms: a molecular and biotechnological insights. Phytochem. Rev. 2024, 24, 953-983, 10.1007/s11101-024-09976-2.
- Yongliang Liu; Sanjay K. Singh; Sitakanta Pattanaik; Hongxia Wang; Ling Yuan; Light regulation of the biosynthesis of phenolics, terpenoids, and alkaloids in plants. Commun. Biol. 2023, 6, 1-14, 10.1038/s42003-023-05435-4.
- Asim Najmi; Sadique A. Javed; Mohammed Al Bratty; Hassan A. Alhazmi; Modern Approaches in the Discovery and Development of Plant-Based Natural Products and Their Analogues as Potential Therapeutic Agents. Molecules 2022, 27, 349, 10.3390/molecules27020349.