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. 2015 Aug 6;6:573. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00573

Table 2.

Classification of plant secondary metabolites.

Groups Chemical structures Examples
Phenolics with one aromatic ring C6 Phenol, hydroquinone, pyrogallol acid
C6-C1 Gallic acid, salicylic acid, methyl syringate, vanillic acid
C6-C2 Acetophenones, apocynin
C6-C3 Hydroxycinnamic acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, coumaric acid, eugenol, zosteric acid
Phenolics with two aromatic rings C6-C1-C6 Xanthones Mangostin
C6-C2-C6 Stylbenes Reservatrol, chlorophorin
C6-C3-C6 Flavonoids Quercetin, glyceollin, sakuranetin
Quinones Naphthoquinones Antraquinones Benzoquinones Alizarin, emodin
Flavonoid polymers and non flavonoid polymers Tannins
Terpenoids C5 Hemiterpene Isoprene, prenol, isovaleric acid
C10 Monoterpene Limonene, cineol, pinene, thymol, camphor, turpentin, carvacrol, citral, γ-terpinene, myrcene
C15 Sesquiterpene Abscisic acid, humulanes, culmorin, gossypol, zealexin
C20 Diterpene Gibberellin, taxol, oryzalexins, phytocassanes, momilactone, kauralexin
C30 Triterpene Brassinosteroids, squalen, lanosterol, avenacin
C40 Tetraterpene Carotenoids, lycopen
C > 40 Polyterpenes Rubber, glisoprenin
Mixed origin (meroterpenes) Cytokines, vitamine E
Nitrogen-containing Alkaloides Tomatin, solanin, nicotine
Glucosinolates Sinigrin, glucobrassicin
Non protein amino acids L-canavanine
Amines Phenylethylamine, tyramine, morphin
Cyanogenic glycosides Amygdalin, sambunigrin, linamarin