Industrial and commercial pharmaceuticals and chemicals are usually products of
secondary metabolism in plants.
Plant
secondary metabolism and challenges in modifying its operation: an overview.
In plants under phosphorus (P) deficiency, alteration from the primary metabolism to the
secondary metabolism frequently results in accumulation of secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids and indole alkaloids (Vance et al., 2003).
Some compounds from plant
secondary metabolism may also exhibit antioxidant activity.
(1988) pointed out that there were mainly two possible reasons about the increase of energy expenditure caused by plant
secondary metabolism: first reason is the process of the detoxification of secondary metabolites in mammals; second reason is the process of repairing the damage caused by secondary metabolites.
Relationship between
secondary metabolism and fungal development.
The gene number of the CYP620 family (involved in the
secondary metabolism) was significantly higher than other selected fungi.
When the plant is elicited, one of two actions occurs: certain elements classified as non-essential are present in the ion flux, and they can stimulate SM synthesis; or NEEs present in a minimum quantity exert pressure in the cell that favors a
secondary metabolism pathway.
Anthelmintic activities of plants are majorly useful due to unique
secondary metabolism [5].
During an attack or infection, for many plants, the
secondary metabolism accelerates; the biosynthesis of new compounds (phytoalexins) takes place and the concentration of the already existing compounds increases [63].