BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAYS OF

SECONDARY METABOLITES
INTRODUCTION:

• Living plant cells consist of a highly specialized organization with

distinct biochemical characteristics.
• The various organized structure in cells, for example chloroplast and
mitochondrion play an important role in metabolic reactions.
• The growing seedling, first of all, develop rich foliage which produces
large quantities of carbohydrates by photosynthesis.
• During phase of growth and differentiation, most of the carbohydrate
are metabolized to full fill energy requirements in metabolic process
and also for building the cellular organization.
• During metabolism of starch or monosaccharides such as glucose,
carbohydrate are broken down to glycerate, pyruvate and later to
Acetyl Co-A which is finally consumed in TCA cycle.
INTRODUCTION:

• Glycerates and Pyruvates gives rise to Aliphatic amino acids and

Aromatic amino acids.
• Pyruvates are broken down into Acetyl Co-A which produces fixed oils
and fats through fatty acids.
• All these primary products are termed as primary metabolites because
of their direct utilization in biological systems at the developmental
stage of plant.
• Once developmental necessities of plant are fulfilled, the excessive
quantities are stored in cells as,
• Carbohydrates are stored as starch grains,
• Amino acids are stored as aleurone grains,
• Fatty acids as fats.
• Above mentioned secondary metabolites represents food storage of product.
INTRODUCTION:

• Secondary Metabolite :
• During biosynthetic reactions, many by-products of metabolism are
produced.
• Most of the by-products are of no utility to the plants and are stored in
various morphological parts of the plants.
• The by-products which do not have any primary function in the plants
and which are in fact secondary products of metabolism are called
Secondary metabolites.
• The production of secondary metabolites is mostly dependent on the
genetic make up which selectively excels in one or another
Shikimic acid pathway :
Amino acid pathway :