A meroterpene (or meroterpenoid) is a chemical compound having a partial

terpenoid The terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, are a class of naturally occurring organic compound, organic chemicals derived from the 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes, diterpenes, etc. While sometimes used interchangeabl ...

structure.

Examples

Terpenophenolics

Terpenophenolics are compounds that are part terpenes, part

natural phenol In biochemistry, naturally occurring phenols are natural products containing at least one phenol functional group. Phenolic compounds are produced by plants and microorganisms. Organisms sometimes synthesize phenolic compounds in response to ecol ...

s. Plants in the genus ''

Humulus ''Humulus'', or hop, is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The hop is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Hops are the female flowers (seed cones, strobiles) of the hop species '' H. lupulus''; as a ...

'' and ''

Cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

'' produce terpenophenolic metabolites, such as

humulone Humulone (α-lupulic acid), a Vinylogy, vinylogous type of organic acid, is a Bitterness (taste), bitter-tasting chemical compound found in the resin of mature hops (''Humulus lupulus''). Humulone is a prevalent member of the class of compounds ...

and

tetrahydrocannabinol Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a cannabinoid found in cannabis. It is the principal psychoactive constituent of ''Cannabis'' and one of at least 113 total cannabinoids identified on the plant. Although the chemical formula for THC (C21H30O2) de ...

respectively. Other examples of terpenophenolics from plants include

bakuchiol Bakuchiol is a meroterpenoid (a chemical compound having a partial terpenoid structure) in the class terpenophenol. It was first isolated in 1966 by Mehta et al. from ''Psoralea corylifolia'' seed and was called Bakuchiol based on the Sanskrit na ...

and

lapachol Lapachol is a natural phenolic compound isolated from the bark of the lapacho tree.Record, Samuel J.. "Lapachol" pages 17-19. In: ''Tropical Woods'' (1925). This tree is known botanically as '' Handroanthus impetiginosus'', but was formerly kno ...

. The antibiotic

marinone Marinone is an antibiotic made by marine actinomycetes. Biosynthesis The proposed biosynthesis of marinone was first reported by Murray ''et al.'' in 2018. The biosynthesis of marinone begins with 1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxynaphthalene (THN), which i ...

produced by marine

bacteria Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of Prokaryote, prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micr ...

is another example. Terpenophenolics can also be isolated from animals. The terpenophenolics methoxyconidiol, epiconicol and didehydroconicol, isolated from the

ascidian Ascidiacea, commonly known as the ascidians or sea squirts, is a paraphyletic class in the subphylum Tunicata of sac-like marine invertebrate filter feeders. Ascidians are characterized by a tough outer test or "tunic" made of the polysaccharid ...

Aplidium ''Aplidium'' is a genus of colonial sea squirts, tunicates in the family Polyclinidae. There are about 188 species in the genus found in shallow waters around the world. Species The following species are listed in this genus according to the W ...

aff. densum'', show antiproliferative activity.

References

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