Leisa: Researched theobromine, caffeine, and coumarin. She was also responsible for piecing together the main body of our paper.
Peter researched ergotamine, allicin, and menthol. He was responsible for constructing the powerpoint with me.
I researched gingerol, capsaicin, and curcumin. I was responsible for constructing the powerpoint with Peter.
All group members met on occasion at Hamilton library and shared our research, helped each other with problems, and adressed LOs/ research questions. We all contributed to our google doc, which eventually became our paper and powerpoint.
Throughout our project we were also allowed the opportunity to hear from some great guest speakers. Dr. Nat Bletter gave an inspiring talk on his field work with the Malinké of Mali and the Asháninka of Peru. He spoke of the importance of ehtnobotanical studies for medicine. He mention the 30% hit rate for ethnomedically-directed studies and 8.5% hit rate for random screenings, which reminded me of previous research we had done for this class. He also mentioned plant synergy, which I am very interested in. I am a believer and practicer of herbal medicine and plant synergy is the main reason. I try to avoid many prescription drugs because I believe that the combination of chemicals found in nature (the synergy) is important to the healing process. Chemicals in plants work together in ways which scientists do not fully understand. One of the important factors that Bletter mentioned was that a certain chemical could, for example, have a 5% success rate when applied to a disease, and another could have a %7 success rate, but when combined the success rate is higher than 12%. Since the data is not quantitive, it is hard for scientists to understand.
Georgia Hart also gave a very informational and thought provoking presentation. She mostly discussed her research on limu (seaweed) but there were a few other pieces of information I found exciting. I enjoyed when she discussed what the chemicals were doing for plants or limu. For example she talked about Phenolics serving for plants: UV protection, herbivore deterrence, oxidative stress relief. This helped me with my research. I also found it fascinating when she compared what the chemicals did for plants to what they are doing for humans. This raises an interesting question: Could the benefit for the plant be a clue as to what the benefit for humans would be?
Throughout our project we were also allowed the opportunity to hear from some great guest speakers. Dr. Nat Bletter gave an inspiring talk on his field work with the Malinké of Mali and the Asháninka of Peru. He spoke of the importance of ehtnobotanical studies for medicine. He mention the 30% hit rate for ethnomedically-directed studies and 8.5% hit rate for random screenings, which reminded me of previous research we had done for this class. He also mentioned plant synergy, which I am very interested in. I am a believer and practicer of herbal medicine and plant synergy is the main reason. I try to avoid many prescription drugs because I believe that the combination of chemicals found in nature (the synergy) is important to the healing process. Chemicals in plants work together in ways which scientists do not fully understand. One of the important factors that Bletter mentioned was that a certain chemical could, for example, have a 5% success rate when applied to a disease, and another could have a %7 success rate, but when combined the success rate is higher than 12%. Since the data is not quantitive, it is hard for scientists to understand.
Georgia Hart also gave a very informational and thought provoking presentation. She mostly discussed her research on limu (seaweed) but there were a few other pieces of information I found exciting. I enjoyed when she discussed what the chemicals were doing for plants or limu. For example she talked about Phenolics serving for plants: UV protection, herbivore deterrence, oxidative stress relief. This helped me with my research. I also found it fascinating when she compared what the chemicals did for plants to what they are doing for humans. This raises an interesting question: Could the benefit for the plant be a clue as to what the benefit for humans would be?
1- Analyze 9 medically active, secondary metabolites.
What is the structure, bioactive effect, and cultural contexts of the each compound as well as the ecological niche and taxonomy of the plants that produce them?
2- Diagram and compare the different systems used to classify secondary metabolites.
What are the properties by which the 9 chosen compounds are classified?
3- Explore, diagram and identify patterns to how the bioactivity of secondary metabolites produced responds to environmental pressures.
What are some ways that outside influences inhibit or assist the proceses by which plants ensure their survival to the next generation?
4- For each secondary metabolite analyzed, compare the taxonomy of the plants that produce them.
For each secondary metabolite analyzed, in which taxa is the compound found to be produced by plants?
What is the structure, bioactive effect, and cultural contexts of the each compound as well as the ecological niche and taxonomy of the plants that produce them?
2- Diagram and compare the different systems used to classify secondary metabolites.
What are the properties by which the 9 chosen compounds are classified?
3- Explore, diagram and identify patterns to how the bioactivity of secondary metabolites produced responds to environmental pressures.
What are some ways that outside influences inhibit or assist the proceses by which plants ensure their survival to the next generation?
4- For each secondary metabolite analyzed, compare the taxonomy of the plants that produce them.
For each secondary metabolite analyzed, in which taxa is the compound found to be produced by plants?
Summary of Research
Capsaicin:
Wikipedia:
- Derived from chili peppers
- genus of chili peppers: Capsicum
- Chemistry: 8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide
- Produces an irritant burning sensation for humans
- probably produced to deter herbivores and fungi
- Most abundant capsaicinoid
- other capsaicinoids include dihydrocapsaicin, nordihydrocapsaicin, homodihydrocapsaicin, and homocapsaicin in order of abundance.
- Pain killer, used in topical creams.
- Highly irritant, lethal dose is 47.2 mg/kg.
- The active ingredient used in pepper spray.
- Has been proposed to be used in painkiller pills so that they
- cannot be snorted due to irritation.
- Stimulates the release of endorphins, the body's natural pain killer.
- Used in Arthritis creams such as Zostrix and Capzasin P.
Chilli peppers (containing capsaicin) are native to north and south America but spread around the world in the 1500s during the spice trade. The first chilli peppers to be domesticated were in Central America. The earliest date chilli peppers are thought to have been consumed is 7500 B.C.
Botanists believe chilli peppers produce capsaicin to deter mammalian predators. The fruits are then reserved for birds, which can tolerate the spice and spread the seeds over long distances.
Capsaicin is a phenylproponoid. Capsaicin, is found in the fruits (primarily the seeds) of the capsicum family. It stimulates the vanilloid receptors subtype 1 or "VR1", which releases nueropeptide and acts as a neurotransmitter for pain messages in the brain. This causes the release of the bodies natural endorphins, resulting in a reduction of pain. There is actually no chemical burn in the body, rather capsaicin just triggers the brain to believe there is burning.
8-Methyl-N-vanillyl-trans-6-nonenamide (C18H27NO3)
| Kingdom | Plantae - Plants |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta - Vascular plants |
| Superdivision | Spermatophyta - Seed plants |
| Division | Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class | Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons |
| Subclass | Asteridae |
| Order | Solanales |
| Family | Solanaceae - Potato family |
| Genus | Capsicum L. - pepper |
| Species | Capsicum frutescence L. |
Curcumin
Curmumin is found in the spice turmeric.
Curcumin is a polyphenol in the family curcuminoids. Curcuminoids are responsible for the yellow color in Turmeric. Curcumin is found in Curcuma aromatica in lesser amounts than in longa. Curcumin depletes nerve endings of substance P, the nuerotransmitter of pain receptors, which is similar to the effect of capsaicin. Curcumin can lower cholesterol by converting cholesterol to bile acids. Curcumin prevents increase in the liver enzyme SGOT and SGPT, which can help prevent liver diseases.
Curcumin is also found in ginger (Zingiber officinale). This is not entirely surprising because ginger and turmeric are in the same family Zingiberaceae. This family is largely classified by its large tuberous rhizomes. The family spans across Africa, Asia and the Americas. The most diversity is found in southeast Asia.
(1E,6E)-1,7-bis (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) -1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione (C21H20O6)
Gingerol
- Turmeric belongs to the family Zingiberaceae.
- Curcumin is a curcuminoid.
- The other curmcuminoids are desmethoxycurcumin and bis-desmethoxycurcumin
- Curcumin acts as a antioxidant and assists in destroying cell damaging free radicals.
- Curcumin has shown in invitro studies that is has potentially anti-arthritic, anti-tumor and anti-inflamatory properties among others.
- Curcumin works at healing the liver.
- Helps prevent the formation of blood clots
- dried turmeric contains about 1-4% curcumin
- Curcumin is about half the strength of cortisone
Curcumin is a polyphenol in the family curcuminoids. Curcuminoids are responsible for the yellow color in Turmeric. Curcumin is found in Curcuma aromatica in lesser amounts than in longa. Curcumin depletes nerve endings of substance P, the nuerotransmitter of pain receptors, which is similar to the effect of capsaicin. Curcumin can lower cholesterol by converting cholesterol to bile acids. Curcumin prevents increase in the liver enzyme SGOT and SGPT, which can help prevent liver diseases.
Curcumin is also found in ginger (Zingiber officinale). This is not entirely surprising because ginger and turmeric are in the same family Zingiberaceae. This family is largely classified by its large tuberous rhizomes. The family spans across Africa, Asia and the Americas. The most diversity is found in southeast Asia.
(1E,6E)-1,7-bis (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) -1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione (C21H20O6)
| Kingdom | Plantae - Plants |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta - Vascular plants |
| Superdivision | Spermatophyta - Seed plants |
| Division | Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class | Liliopsida - Monocotyledons |
| Subclass | Zingiberidae |
| Order | Zingiberales |
| Family | Zingiberaceae - Ginger family |
| Genus | Curcuma L. - curcuma |
| Species | Curcuma longa L. - common turmeric |
Gingerol
- Gingerol is a yellow oil derived from ginger.
- When cooked gingerol is turned into zingerone, when dried it is turned into shogaols.
- Gingerol is related to capsaicin.
- Gingerol has been shown to reduce nausea, help treat arthritus and is being tested for treating various forms of cancer.
Gingerol is a polyphenol found in the Rhizome of the ginger plant. It is an antagonist on the same receptor as capsaicin, "VR1". Gingerol can reduce gastric contractions, gastric secretions, and prevent vomiting.
(S)-5-hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-decanone (C17H26O4)
| Kingdom | Plantae - Plants |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta - Vascular plants |
| Superdivision | Spermatophyta - Seed plants |
| Division | Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class | Liliopsida - Monocotyledons |
| Subclass | Zingiberidae |
| Order | Zingiberales |
| Family | Zingiberaceae - Ginger family |
| Genus | Zingiber Mill. - ginger |
| Species | Zingiber officinale Roscoe - garden ginger |
From our google doc classifications of metabolites:
Terpenoids:
- Volatile essential oil
- Isoprene units
- Monoterpinoids have 2 isoprene units
- Diterpenoids - Resins and latex have 4 units
- “Terpenoids are volatile substances which give plants and flowers their fragrance. They occur widely in the leaves and fruits of higher plants, conifers, citrus and eucalyptus.” - Bano
Nitrogen Containing Compounds
Alkaloids:
- derived from amino acids by various metabolic pathways
- Physiological activity
Cyanogenic Glycosides:
- HCN- defense compounds hydrolized to release hydrogen cyanide
- toxin
Glucosinolates:
- mustard oil glucosides
- pungent
- Brassicales, Drypetes (systematics)
Phenolics:
- Flavonoids
- Phenolic Compounds
- Ring system-cyclization of an intermediate from a cinnamic acid derivative
- defense against herbivores, regulation of auxin transport (systematics book)
- Tannins
Astringent- causes body tissues to shrink, tannins,
Bitter- Alkaloid, toxin, warning to herbivore- flavanoid phenols -
Salty- Na, K, Li ions. Salty probably for Sodium which is needed for muscle action. K and Li are similar in size.
Sour-detects acidity
Sweet- sugar , aldehyde, ketone, carbonyl group
Piquance- spiciness
Web Sources:
http://www.kew.org/plant-cultures/plants
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ww0703.htm
http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/
http://www.erowid.org/plants/capsicum/capsicum_article1.shtml
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1573550/
http://www.fcf.usp.br/Ensino/Graduacao/Disciplinas/Exclusivo/Inserir/Anexos/LinkAnexos/gengibre.pdf
http://www.phenol-explorer.eu
Books:
Indian Medicine: An Illustrated Dictionary by C.P. Khare
Update: Tonight Leisa and I met at Hamilton to create diagrams for our paper. Leisa is creating diagrams for the taxonomy explaining which plants contain our secondary metabolites and where they belong in the taxa. I created this diagram, which shows what environmental pressures happen at certain parts of a plant and which metabolites are produced to combat this.
Overall I believe I worked very hard on this entire project. I put much more time into it than all of the previous problems. I worked to address each LO and find websites or articles on the topic. Having the extra time definitely helped me to process my thoughts. I put a lot of effort in to this blog as well as our google doc and our powerpoint. I believe my partners worked hard as well. When one of us was struggling, the others would chime in and give insight, even if this meant finding an article for the other person or researching a bit about their metabolite. We really all worked together to make this happen. I hope that this summary made it easier to categorize my work on this problem and apply it to the rubric. Mahalo
Great job, Sam! This is one of the best-organized, detailed, and informative "notebooks" I've seen. Your efforts are noted, and can see through the thought process you recorded here that you've learned a good deal. Well done!
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