Terpenes

Module 3 Plant Chemistry

 Terpenes ~ slide 29 ~ 46

Terpenes are made largely of conifer pine tree sap

• The word Turpentine comes from Terpine
• Terpenes are used mainly as constituents of essential oils
• Many terpenes are hydrocarbons
• Also oxygen-containing compounds (alcohols, aldehydes, ketones) (terpenoids)
• Building block is hydrocarbon isoprene
• Terpene = 2 isoprene units
  • monoterpenes 2 isoprenes
    • Pinene
    • Nerol
    • Citral
    • Camphor
    • Menthol
    • Limonene
    • Cherries, citrus fruit peel oils, caraway, dill, spearmint, lemongrass
      ↓risk breast, skin, liver, lung, stomach, pancreas cancers
  • sesquiterpenes 3 isoprenes
    • Nerolidol
    • farnesol
  • diterpenes 4 isoprenes
    • Vitamin A1 (Retinol)
  • triterpenes 6 isoprenes
    • Beta carotene (provitamin A1)
  • tetraterpenes 8 isoprenes