Secondary Products III Glycosides
Glycosides Sugar most commonly found is glucose Non-sugar molecule known as the aglycone and may be amino acid derivatives steroids triterpenes
Glycosides Most common types Saponins Cardiac Glycosides (Cardenolides) Cyanogenic Glycosides Anthraquinone Glycosides Glucosinolates (sometimes not included) Most glycosides function as deterrents to herbivores
Saponins Terpene glycosides Steroid glycosides Steroid-alkaloid glycosides Triterpene glycosides Sapogenins Properties of saponins Effects of saponins on water
Useful saponins Saponins from yam - Disocorea spp. are the source of steroids used for human hormones Birth control pills - most synthetic but some still use natural hormones Anti-inflammatory steroids Licorice - Glycyrrhiza glabra produces saponins that possibly help gastric ulcers because they suppress prostoglandins
Cardiac glycosides Properties Distribution Best known are digitoxin and digoxin from Digitalis purpurea (foxglove) – 30 glycosides Other poisonous plants with cardiac glycosides Oleander - Nerium oleander - oleandrin Milkweed - Asclepias spp - asclepiadin Lily of the Valley - Convallaria sp. – convallotoxin and convallarin Physiological Action
Foxglove Digitalis purpurea
Digitoxin
Sugars in digitoxin 2 molecules of digitose 1 molecule of 1-acetyl digitose 1 molecule of glucose Digitose
Oleander
Oleandrin
Milkweeds
Convallaria majalis
Convallotoxin
Cyanogenic glycosides Distribution Most derived from 4 amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, valine, or isoleucine) or from nicotinic acid Cyanogenic glycosides are not toxic by themselves Two enzymes involved in toxicity glycosidase releases the sugars Hydroxynitrile lyase releases HCN Effects of HCN
Electron Transport System
Cyanogenic Glycosides Variability Cassava (Manioc esculenta) major food crop with cyanogenic glycosides Rosaceae (Rose Family) contains cyanogenic glycoside - amygdalin Amygdalin from apricot pits source of Laetrile
Cassava
Amygdalin
Glucosinolates