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Chemicals via Higher Plant Bioengineering pp 49–62Cite as

Monoterpenes in Essential Oils

Biosynthesis and Properties

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Part of the Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology book series (AEMB,volume 464)

Abstract

Monoterpenes are compounds found in the essential oils extracted from many plants, including fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs. These compounds contribute to the flavor and aroma of plant from which they are extracted. Monoterpenes are acyclic, monocyclic, or bicyclic C10 compounds synthesized by monoterpene synthases using geranyl pyrophos-phate (GPP) as substrate. GPP is also the precursor in the synthesis of farnesyl pyrophos-phate (FPP) and geranyl-geranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), two important compounds in cell metabolism of animals, plants and yeast. Monoterpene cyclases produce cyclic monoterpenes through a multistep mechanism involving a universal intermediate, a terpinyl cation which can be transformed to several compounds. Experimental studies, using animal cancer models, have demonstrated that some monoterpenes possess anticarcinogenic properties, acting at different cellular and molecular levels. From these discoveries it seems clear that monoterpenes could be considered as effective, nontoxic dietary antitumorigenic agents that hold promise as a novel class of anticancer drugs.

Keywords

  • Perillyl Alcohol
  • Monoterpene Synthases
  • Geranyl Pyrophosphate
  • Acyclic Monoterpene
  • Perillic Acid

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Bioquímica Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cd. Universitaria, México,, D.F. 04510, México

    Herminia Loza-Tavera

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  1. Herminia Loza-Tavera
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John, Newfoundland, Canada

    Fereidoon Shahidi

  2. POS Pilot Plant Corporation, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

    Paul Kolodziejczyk

  3. University of California, Davis, California, USA

    John R. Whitaker

  4. Institute of Biotechnology-UNAM, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

    Agustin Lopez Munguia

  5. USDA/ARS, Albany, California, USA

    Glenn Fuller

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Loza-Tavera, H. (1999). Monoterpenes in Essential Oils. In: Shahidi, F., Kolodziejczyk, P., Whitaker, J.R., Munguia, A.L., Fuller, G. (eds) Chemicals via Higher Plant Bioengineering. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 464. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4729-7_5

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