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    Plant Chemistry Related To Taxonomy

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    Juliet Ileto Villaruel - Almonacid
    Chemotaxonomy is the use of chemical compounds found in plants to aid in taxonomic classification. These chemical characteristics like phenolics, terpenes, alkaloids, and others are stable, unambiguous, and do not change easily making them useful taxonomic markers. Major plant families have been classified based on the presence of specific chemical groups like flavonoids in the elm family and terpenes in the mint family. Examples are given of how chemical analysis has helped solve taxonomic problems and differentiate between plant orders.

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    Plant Chemistry Related To Taxonomy

    Uploaded by

    Juliet Ileto Villaruel - Almonacid
    142 views22 pages
    Chemotaxonomy is the use of chemical compounds found in plants to aid in taxonomic classification. These chemical characteristics like phenolics, terpenes, alkaloids, and others are stable, unambiguous, and do not change easily making them useful taxonomic markers. Major plant families have been classified based on the presence of specific chemical groups like flavonoids in the elm family and terpenes in the mint family. Examples are given of how chemical analysis has helped solve taxonomic problems and differentiate between plant orders.

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    Chemotaxonomy is the use of chemical compounds found in plants to aid in taxonomic classification. These chemical characteristics like phenolics, terpenes, alkaloids, and others are stable, unambiguous, and do not change easily making them useful taxonomic markers. Major plant families have been classified based on the presence of specific chemical groups like flavonoids in the elm family and terpenes in the mint family. Examples are given of how chemical analysis has helped solve taxonomic problems and differentiate between plant orders.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    142 views22 pages

    Plant Chemistry Related To Taxonomy

    Uploaded by

    Juliet Ileto Villaruel - Almonacid
    Chemotaxonomy is the use of chemical compounds found in plants to aid in taxonomic classification. These chemical characteristics like phenolics, terpenes, alkaloids, and others are stable, unambiguous, and do not change easily making them useful taxonomic markers. Major plant families have been classified based on the presence of specific chemical groups like flavonoids in the elm family and terpenes in the mint family. Examples are given of how chemical analysis has helped solve taxonomic problems and differentiate between plant orders.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 22

    PLANT CHEMISTRY RELATED

    TO TAXONOMY
    JULIET I. VILLARUEL
    M.A.ED. – BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE
    CHEMOTAXONOMY
    • A science which uses chemical
    information as a character for taxonomic
    purposes. (Plantsjournal.com)
    • The systematic study of chemical
    variation between plant taxa. (Jones &
    Luchsinger, 1986)
    • Chemical compound produced by plants
    CHEMOTAXONOMY
    • Chemotaxonomists suggest that chemical
    characteristics have a particularly high
    taxonomic value because they are:
    1. Stable
    2. Unambiguous
    3. Not easily unchangeable
    SECONDARY METABOLITE
    FUNCTIONS
    • It provides protection from herbivores and pathogens.
    • They serve as attractants (smell, color, taste) for
    pollinators and seed dispersing animals.
    • They function as agents of plant-plant competition
    and plant-microbe symbioses.
    MAJOR CLASSES OF CHEMICAL
    EVIDENCE
    • PHENOLICS
    • TERPENOIDS
    • SULPHUR CONTAINING COMPOUNDS
    • NITROGEN CONTAINING COMPOUNDS
    PHENOLICS: PHENOLIC ACIDS
    • Main polyphenols made by plants.
    • Works primarily as antioxidants that prevent cell
    damage due to free-radicals.
    • Also anti-inflammatory when taken regularly.
    • Phenolic acids are usually found in mangos,
    berries, apples, citrus fruits, plums, cherries, kiwis
    onions, tea, coffee, red wine, and flour made from
    wheat, rice, corn or oats.
    PHENOLICS: FLAVONOIDS
    • One of the most common phenolic compound of
    leaves.
    • Both monocots and dicots show structural
    variability and chemical stability.
    • Flavonoids are used to classify 80 species of plants
    from the family ulmaceae (elm family).
    • Other families classified by the presence of
    flavonoids:
    • Leguminosae (bean family)
    • Labiatae (mint family)
    • Orchidaceae (orchid family)
    TERPENES

    • Largely found as constituents of essential oils.


    • Mostly hydrocarbon compounds constructed from
    five carbon isoprene.
    • Species that is classified by presence of terpenes:
    • Species of salvia
    SULPHUR CONTAINING COMPOUNDS
    NITROGEN CONTAINING COMPOUNDS:
    ALKALOIDS
    • These are compounds, containing heterocyclic nitrogen,
    basic character and complex molecular structure.
    • Such compounds are restricted to plant kingdom.
    • Occurrence and distribution higher plants particularly in
    the dicotyledons, abundance in the angiosperms families
    apocynaceae, papaveraceae, ranculaceae, rubiaceae,
    rutaceae, solanaceae, but less frequent in lower plants
    and fungi.
    IMPORTANT ALKALOIDS INCLUDE
    • Morphine
    • Strychnine 
    • Atropine
    • Colchicine
    • Ephedrine
    • Quinine
    • Nicotine.
    • They are most common in herbaceous
    plants, but some occur in woody plants,
    chiefly tropical species.
    CHEMISTRY IN RELATION TO TAXONOMY

    • Spice plants were identified based on


    their aromatic properties.
    • Medicinal plants based on their curative
    value.
    • Plants are also used in pharmaceuticals,
    flavors, perfumes, agrochemicals,
    insecticides and raw materials for
    industries.
    CHEMISTRY IN RELATION TO TAXONOMY
    Cronquist (1981) cited the following examples to indicate
    the use of chemistry in solving taxonomic problems:
    1. Caryphyllales produce betalains and not anthocyanins
    2. Polygonales produce anthocyanins and not betalains.
    3. Juglandales are aromatic plants while fagales are non-
    aromatic.
    4. Highly aromatic compounds are found in lamiaceae.
    5. Alakaloids are very common in solanaceae.
    6. Sapindaceae have plenty of tannins.

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