Secondary metabolites in bryophytes..by nikita pathania
1. SECONDARY METABOLITES FROM
BRYOPHYTES ;
MATERIAL FOR
BEDDING,PACKING,PLUGGING
AND STUFFING.
SUBMITTED BY- NIKITA PATHANIA
SEMESTER- 7TH
ROLL NO.- 1641417
SUBMITTED TO- Dr. SAKSHI BHUSHAN
2. Secondary metabolites, also called specialised metabolites, toxins, secondary
products, or natural products, are organic compounds produced
by bacteria, fungi, or plants which are not directly involved in the
normal growth, development, or reproduction of the organism. Instead, they
generally mediate ecological interactions, which may produce a selective
advantage for the organism by increasing its survivability . Secondary
metabolites often play an important role in plant defense against herbivory.
3. Bryophytes frequently grow in an unfavorable
environment as the earliest land plants, and inevitably
biosynthesize secondary metabolites against biotic or
abiotic stress.
Secondary metabolites not only defend against the
plant competition, microbial attack, and insect or
animal predation, but also function in UV protection,
drought tolerance, and freezing survival.
Bryophytes are close extant relatives of the ancestral
land plant. As such, they have retained many
innovations that had enabled the adaptation of early
land plants to the terrestrial environment. One of such
important innovations is the elaboration of an
enormously diverse array of secondary metabolites.
4. Bryophytes contain many unique chemical compounds with high
biological and ecological relevance . Due to unique oil bodies,
liverworts are biochemically very distinctive from other mosses.
Secondary metabolites in oil bodies are mostly composed of lipophilic
terpenoids, abundant (bis‐)bibenzyls, and small aromatic compounds .
5. Even though oil bodies in Marchantia polymorpha are usually restricted to
only few vegetative cells of the thallus, relative number of oil bodies has been
correlated to growth conditions, availability of nutrients, herbivory, and
biodiversity. The compounds unique to liverworts are involved in many biotic
interactions and act as defense to herbivory .
Despite the fact that the majority of bryophytes (approx. 14,000 species) belong
to the group of mosses (Bryophyta), fewer compounds have been characterized
in mosses than in liverworts. Mosses contain terpenoids; benzoic, cinnamic,
and phthalic acid derivatives; coumarins; and some nitrogen‐containing
aromatic compounds, which sometimes are structurally similar to those found
in vascular plants .
As secondary metabolite profiles are similar among phylogenetically closely
related species , metabolomics can also be used to support phylogenies based
on genetic markers, for example, to find marker compounds to assist current
phylogenetic classifications, to discriminate several ecotypes of bryophyte
species, or even to propose new chemical taxonomic markers .
6. Bryophytes exhibit allelopathic interactions with other organisms by
releasing allelochemicals. For example, as some slugs feed on
bryophytes, mosses such as Dicranum scoparium have evolved acetylic
oxylipins that act as a defense against herbivorous slugs. Other
oxylipins or related compound classes have also been found to induce
defense reactions in vascular plants.
Marchantia polymorpha, Plagiomnium undulatum, and Polytrichum
strictum were biochemically most diverse and unique. Flavonoids and
sesquiterpenoids were upregulated in all bryophytes in the growing
seasons. Ecological functioning of compound classes indicating light
protection (flavonoids), biotic and pathogen interactions
(sesquiterpenoids, flavonoids), low temperature and desiccation
tolerance (glycosides, sesquiterpenoids, anthocyanins, lactones), and
moss growth supporting anatomic structures (few methoxyphenols
and cinnamic acids as part of proto-lignin constituents) have been
identified.
7. Terpenoid secondary metabolites, which constitute the
largest family of plant metabolites, in bryophytes from
three perspectives: 1. chemical diversity, 2. biosynthesis,
and 3.biological functions.
The diversity of terpenoids in bryophytes, particularly in
liverworts, is enormously rich. More than 1600 terpenoids
have been reported from this plant group. While many
terpenoids are observed in both bryophytes and seed
plants, some are unique to bryophytes.
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10. Compared to seed plants, which have only one type of terpene synthase
genes, so-called typical plant terpene synthase genes, bryophytes
employ not only typical plant terpene synthase genes but also another
class of terpene synthase genes called microbial-terpene synthase-like
(MTPSL) genes for terpenoid biosynthesis.
Biochemical studies suggest the MTPSLs are largely responsible for the
terpenoid diversity in bryophytes, particularly sesquiterpenes and
monoterpenes.
Existing literature indicates that terpenoids made by bryophytes have
important functions in diverse biological and ecological processes,
particularly as defenses against biotic and abiotic stresses. The
continued development of genomic resources and molecular tool kit
for bryophytes will accelerate characterization of terpenoids
biosynthesis and their biological functions in this important lineage of
plants.
11. Mosses were used as material, for bedding, packing,
plugging and stuffing owing to their soft elastic
texture, and also because they are not easily attacked
by insects and micro- organisms.
12. As Packing Material:
Dried mosses and Bryophytes have great ability to hold water. Due to this
ability the Bryophytes are used as packing material for shipment of cut flowers,
vegetables, perishable fruits, bulbs, tubers etc.
Mosses are suitable for packing purposes because they have soft elastic texture
and are not easily attacked by micro-organisms.
In the western United States mosses are used for packing vegetables. In
tropics, leafy liverworts are used for packing, largely because of their
abundance. In the Himalayas, apples and plums in particular are wrapped in
mosses. Nurserymen in India use wet Sphagnum for sending or supplying live
plants and also for shipment of vegetables, cacti, ferns and other delicate
plants. Moist Sphagnum is used for packing live frogs, snakes, lizards, worms
and some insects for shipmen.
13. . As Bedding Stock:
Because of great ability of holding and absorbing water, nurseries beds are covered
with thalli of Bryophytes. Since the peat mosses have remarkable power to absorb
and hold water like a sponge, they are extensively used in seed beds and green
houses to root cutting. The peat mosses (Sphagna) are also used to maintain high
soil acidity required by certain plants.
Bryophytes as seed beds present both advantages and problems, often promoting
seed germination, but inhibiting seedling survival.
germination is unsuccessful because the moss and lichen mat absorbs water too
quickly to allow sufficient soaking of seeds, and frequent wetting and drying of
surface soil . In fact, moss has been considered a “pest” when growing in containers
of conifer seedlings, where it chokes young seedlings, competes for nutrients, and
deprives soil of water.
14. As Plugging Material
Plugging-to close up so that no empty spaces remain
Mosses have also been used in making huts by herdsman and other
mosses are used for plugging the seams and cracks of boats. In the
Scottish highlands Sphagnum mixed in tar is used for plugging the
seams.
Plugging in horticulture is a technique in which small-
sized seedlings grown in seed trays filled with potting soil. This
type of plug is used for commercially raising vegetables and
bedding plants. Because of great ability of holding and absorbing
water, nurseries beds are covered with thalli of Bryophytes.
Since the peat mosses have remarkable power to absorb
and hold water like a sponge, they are extensively used in
seed beds and green houses to root cutting.
15.
16. As Stuffing Material
In northern Europe Sphagnum is stuffed between
timber used in houses to deaden the sound.
In alpine regions of the North Western Himalayas
Indians make beddings, mattresses, cushions and
pillows by stuffing mosses into coarse linen sacks or by
spreading them on muddy floor of huts. Mosses are
preferred due to their soft texture, insect-repellent
property and resistance to rotting.
17. REFRENCES:
CF Xie, HX Lou - Chemistry & biodiversity, 2009-Secondary
metabolites in bryophytes: an ecological aspect
F Chen, A Ludwiczuk, G Wei, X Chen ,2018 - Terpenoid secondary
metabolites in bryophytes: chemical diversity, biosynthesis and
biological functions.
Y Asakawa - Progress in the chemistry of organic natural products, 1995
- Chemical constituents of the bryophytes.
JM Glime - Flora of North America, 2007 -Economic and
ethnic uses of bryophytes
DK Saxena - Resonance, 2004 -Uses of bryophytes
Wikipedia.
