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Natural Products pp 2665–2691Cite as

Terpenes: Chemistry, Biological Role, and Therapeutic Applications

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Abstract

Terpenoids are naturally occurring hydrocarbons produced by a wide variety of plants and animals. They are classified based on five-carbon (isoprene) units as their building blocks, numbering more than 55,000 molecules having been discovered till date. Different terpenes include hemiterpenes (C5), monoterpenes (C10), sesquiterpenes (C15), diterpenes (C20), sesterterpenes (C25), triterpenes (C30), and polyterpenes (>C30). Diverse functional roles of terpenoids have been critically studied and well-accepted now. Some of them include natural flavor additives for food or fragrances in perfumery and in traditional and alternate medicines as aromatherapy. Biosynthetically, terpenoids are formed via two major synthetic pathways: mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway and 2C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathway. Biologically active terpenoids span various orders of magnitude. Most comprehensively studied of which is the effect of terpenes in prevention and treatment of cancer. Illustratively, Taxol derivative (paclitaxel and docetaxel) are among the widely used drugs in cancer chemotherapy. Other important therapeutic uses of terpenoids include antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, antiparasitic, immunomodulatory, and as skin permeation enhancer. Since many of these molecules are only found in very low levels in nature, their massive harvesting to obtain sufficient amounts of the drug including synthetic biology and metabolic engineering provides innovative approaches to increase the production of terpenoids.

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Abbreviations

COX:

Cyclooxygenase

DMAPP:

Dimethylallyl pyrophosphate

DXP:

1-Deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate

FPP:

Farnesyl pyrophosphate

GGPP:

Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate

GPP:

Geranyl pyrophosphate

HIV:

Human immunodeficiency virus

HSV:

Herpes simplex virus

IL:

Interleukin

iNOS:

Inducible nitric oxide synthetase

IPP:

Isopentenyl pyrophosphate

MEP:

2C-Methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate

MIC:

Minimum inhibitory concentration

MVA:

Mevalonic acid

NF:

Nuclear factor

PG:

Prostaglandin

PL:

Phospholipase

TNF:

Tumor necrosis factor

WBC:

White blood cells

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  1. Department of Pharmacology, L. J. Institute of Pharmacy, Sarkhej Gandhinagar Highway, 380015, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

    Priyanka P. Brahmkshatriya

  2. Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, v.v.i. and Gilead Sciences and IOCB Research Center, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Flemingovo nam. 2, 166 10, Prague, Czech Republic

    Dr. Pathik S. Brahmkshatriya

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  1. Priyanka P. Brahmkshatriya
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Correspondence to Pathik S. Brahmkshatriya .

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  1. Botany Department, M.L. Sukhadia University, Durga Nursery Road, Udaipur, 313001, Rajasthan, India

    Kishan Gopal Ramawat

  2. Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences, Biological-Active Plant Substances Study, University of Bordeaux, 210 Chemin de Leysotte CS 50008, Villenave d'Ornon, 33882, France

    Jean-Michel Mérillon

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Brahmkshatriya, P.P., Brahmkshatriya, P.S. (2013). Terpenes: Chemistry, Biological Role, and Therapeutic Applications. In: Ramawat, K., Mérillon, JM. (eds) Natural Products. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22144-6_120

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