Plant kingdom, distribution

The potassium or calcium salt form of oxaUc acid is distributed widely ia the plant kingdom. Its name is derived from the Greek o>ys, meaning sharp or acidic, referring to the acidity common ia the foflage of certain plants (notably Oxalis and Mmex) from which it was first isolated. Other plants ia which oxahc acid is found are spinach, rhubarb, etc. Oxahc acid is a product of metabohsm of fungi or bacteria and also occurs ia human and animal urine the calcium salt is a principal constituent of kidney stones. 

L-Ascorbic acid, better known as vitamin C, has the simplest chemical structure of all the vitamins (Figure 18.30). It is widely distributed in the animal and plant kingdoms, and only a few vertebrates—humans and other primates, guinea pigs, fruit-eating bats, certain birds, and some fish (rainbow trout, carp, and Coho salmon, for example)—are unable to synthesize it. In all these organisms, the inability to synthesize ascorbic acid stems from a lack of a liver enzyme, L-gulono-y-lactone oxidase. 

The wide distribution of chlorophylls throughout the plant kingdom facilitates the scrutiny of chlorophyll-rich vegetables for human nutrition with a view to their direct consumption. However, until now, little standardized information was available in the literature regarding the absolute total chlorophyll contents and the ratios of chlorophylls a and b in raw materials. The different analytical methods of extraction and quantification and the lack of data about moisture contents (that may vary considerably among varieties and preparations) can also influence the final contents of pigments. These factors have largely contributed to the discrepancies found in similar food samples. 

In marked contrasts to the flavonoids, the isoflavonoids have a very limited distribution in the plant kingdom and are almost entirely restricted to the subfamily Papilionoidae. Their estrogenic effect was discovered following the observation of a decline in birth rate for sheep fed on Trifolium sublerraneum. Changes in... 

The above outline of the evolution of the plant kingdom during coal-forming eras has been presented largely in the language of botanical anatomy. However, the alert chemist will note that the anatomical differences imply considerable quantitative and spatial differences in the distribution of the principal plant constituents [cellulose, lignin, cutin, suberin and other waxes, contents of protoplasmic cells, pigments, resins, sporopollenin. 

Saponins are glycosylated secondary metabolites that are widely distributed in the Plant Kingdom.3,4 They are a diverse and chemically complex family of compounds that can be divided into three major groups depending on the structure of the aglycone, which may be a steroid, a steroidal alkaloid, or a triterpenoid. These molecules have been proposed to contribute to plant defense.3 6 Saponins are also exploited as drugs and medicines and for a variety of other purposes.4 Despite the considerable commercial interest in this important group of natural products, little is known about their biosynthesis. This is due in part to the complexity of the molecules, and also to the lack of pathway intermediates for biochemical studies. 

The platelet hist UIline release assay demonstrated that cotton mill dust extract, cotton bract extract, cotton leaf extract, dialyzed CMD extract, polyphenols, compound 48/80, rutin, trimethylamine HCl, quercetin, catechin, tannic acid, ellagic acid and sodium metasilicate all release histamine directly (48). Thus not only do tannin compounds induce histamine release, but they may also form higher molecular weight polymers and contain components that survive acid hydrolytic conditions (48). Tannins are widely distributed in the plant kingdom. 

While fiavonoids have the 2-phenylchromen-4-one backbone, isoflavonoids (Fig. 8) have the 3-phenylchromen-4-one backbone, with no hydroxyl substitution at position 2 in the case of isofiavones. In contrast with the parent class of fiavonoids, the distribution of the isoflavonoid class in the plant kingdom is relatively limited, probably owing to the sporadic occurrence of isoflavone synthase. Isoflavonoids... 

Natural rubber can be found as a colloidal emulsion in a white, milky fluid called latex and is widely distributed in the plant kingdom. The Indians called it wood tears. It was not until 1770 that Joseph Priestly suggested the word rubber for the substance, since by rubbing on paper it could be used to erase pencil marks, instead of the previously used bread crumbs. At one time 98% of the world s natural rubber came from a tree, Hevea brasiliensis, native to the Amazon Basin of Brazil which grows to the height of 120 ft. Today most natural rubber is produced on plantations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Other rubber-bearing plants... 

Quinolizidine alkaloids (QA) are thought to be typical natural products of many Leguminosae (1-3) but a few isolated occurrences have been reported also in unrelated families, e.g. Chenopodiaceae ( 1 ), Berberidaceae ( ), Papaveraceae ( ), Scrophulariaceae ( ), Santalaceae ( ), Solanaceae ( ), and Ranunculaceae (J ). These observations could indicate that the genes for QA biosynthesis are probably not restricted to the Leguminosae but are widely distributed in the plant kingdom however, they are only rarely expressed in the other families. We could support this belief by recent experiments using plant cell suspension cultures. A short-term and transientQA formation could be detected after induction even in "QA-free" species, such as Daucus, Spinacia, Conium, and Symphytum (6). 

Peroxidases are widely distributed enzymes in the plant kingdom. Despite their ubiquity and the ever-increasing number of functions ascribed to them, the precise role and localization of the many isozymes remain uncertain... 

A remarkable range of simpler organosulfur compounds are known to be widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom... 

Coumarin is widely distributed in the plant kingdom, but for commercial use has been mostly produced synthetically for many years. In addition to its use in the perfumery, cosmetic and related industries, coumarin has several other industrial applications. Formerly, large quantities of coumarin were used in the food industry, mostly associated with vanillin, for flavouring chocolates, baked goods, and in cream soda-flavoured beverages (Perone, 1972), but since 1954 its use as a direct food additive has been suspended in the United States (Boisde Meuly, 1993 Lake, 1999). 

Plant polyphenols, also known as vegetable tannins, are a heterogenous group of natural products widely distributed in the plant kingdom. Tannins... 

Polyphenols constitute one of the most and widely distributed groups of substances in the plant kingdom, with more than 8000 phenolic structures currently known. They can be divided into at least 10 different classes based upon their chemical structure, ranging from simple molecules, such as phenolic acids, to highly polymerized compounds, such as tannins. 

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