What are Secondary Metabolites? How they are Produced ? Give 2 Examples of Secondary Metabolite & Elaborate their role. How do they differ from Primary Metabolite.?
Secondary metabolite are mainly found in plant and microorganisms. They are formed along with specialized pathways from primary metabolites such as amino acid, nuclis acids, carbohydrate etc.The secondray metabolites has no role in primary functions like photosynthesis, growth or reprodution.Human usese some this metabolites as medicine, flavouring and recreational drug.Some of these Nitrogeh cotaining(alkaloids) and remainings are non nitrogenous.
Secondary metabolites are produced from the intermediate productes of primary metabolism pathways.
Classification of secondary metabolites:
1.Polyketides and Fatty acid- Formed by accetate and derived from accetyl coenzyme A
2. Terpenoids and Steroids- isoprenoid C5 unites derived from Isopentyl phosphate
3. Phenyl propanoids
4.Alkaloids
5.Specialized amino acid and peptides
6.Specialized carbohydrate
Example: Alkaloids- Resarpin- Found in Rauvolifa sepentia "Sarpagandha" Plant used for High blood pressure medicine
Niccotin- Found in Tobacco plant- interfer with neurotranmission .
Diffrence between Primary and secondary metabolites:
1.Secondary metabolites are mainly found in plant and some microorganisms where primary metabolites are largly distributed among living thigs.
2. Secondary metabolites are non essentials to primary fuctions in plant body where as primary metabolites are essential.
3. secondary metabolites are produced from intermediate of primary mebolite synthesis pathways.
4. secondary metabolites are caracteristics of some plant depending on whichs a taxonomic classification of plant can possible.
=> Secondary metabolites (SM) are organic compounds not directly involved in the normal growth, development or reproduction of organisms, their absence results in mild impairment for the organisms such as lowered survivality/fecundity, aesthetic differences, or else no change in phenotype at all.
- Most SMs are products of primary metabolic pathway (viz. photosynthesis), originally thought to be the waste products shunted into the dumping ground of the vacuole.
- SMs often accumulate in a restricted range of species, sometimes in a single species or genus, and often within a specific organ or tissue or at a specific stage of development within a single species.
Example of two secondary metabollites:
1. Alkaloid used as drug: Quinine from Cinchona barkas anti-malarial.
2. As Flavour: Saffron from Crocus sativus (dried stigma).
Primary vs. Secondary Metabolisms:
While primary metabolim consists of biochemical pathways that are in general common to all cells, secondary metabolisms consist of a large number of diverse processes that are specific to certain cell types. Plant pigments, alkaloids, isoprenoids, terpenes, and waxes are some examples of secondary products. The role of many of the secondary products has been rather ambiguous, and initially they were thought to be just waste materials. However, considering their non-motile nature and the lack of sophisticated immune system that we have, plants had to develop their own defence system against pathogens and predators, and systems to lure motile creatures for fertilization and dissemination. Indeed, many of the secondary products are bacteriocidal, repellent (by bad tastes, etc), or even poisonous to pests and hervibores. Pigments of flowers would give attractive colors for insects that help with fertilization, or warning colors against predators. Plant pigments also provide protection against environmental harms, such as free radiacls and UV irradiation. Some of the secondary products perform signalling function as plant hormones.
Many of these secondary products are originally meant for defence against herbivores such as insects which would soon come up with metabolic pathways todetoxify and even utilize these defence compounds. During eveolutionary processes, animals developed a variety of dependencies to phytochemicals, including the secondary products that are, with or without modification, used as procursors for the synthesis of vital or benefitial molecules in animal body.
Secondary plant products have for thousands of years played an essential role in medicine. Traditionally, they have been directly used as food and herbs. Nowadays, they are used either directly or after chemical modification. Plant secondary metabolites represent a tremendous resources for scientific and clinical researches and new drug development. Overall, their pharmacological value not only remains undeminished until today, but is increasing due to constant discoveries of their pontential roles in healthcare and as lead chemicals for new drug development.
Ques:-
If you were to add HCl to water , what effect would this have on the hydrogen ion concentration? On the pH? On the ionic charge of any protein in solution? What is the relationship between a conjugate acid & its base?
When HCl is added to water, HCl donates a hydrogen ion to water to form a hydronium ion. HCl acts as a Bronsted Acid and water as a bronsted base here.Both the hydrogen ion concentration and the pH of the solution remains the same and hence, even the charge of any protein inside the solution remains unchanged.
HCl ------> H+ + Cl-
H2O <------> H+ + OH-
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HCl + H2O ------> H3O+ + Cl-
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Conjugate acid and its base are related to each other by donating and accepting a single proton to and from each other respectively.
=>
water has a buffering capacity. most of the water molecules remain intact but small amount of it reacts to produce hydronium ion(H3O+) which accounts for the acidic property of water. when HCl is added to water, hydronium ion concentration increases resulting in decrease of pH. so, HCl is used to decrease pH, however, the exact quantity needed depends upon water buffering capacity. as the pH of solution decreases due to addition of HCl, the amino and carboxyl groups of protein will be protonated and the molecule will be in the acidic form. generally mineral acids are used for isolelectric precipitation of protein in solution. when an acid donates a proton, it forms a conjugate base. HCl + H2O.......Cl- + H3O+ HCl and chloride ion as well as H2O and H3O+ are conjugate acid base pairs.
