A meroterpene (or merterpenoid) is a chemical compound having a partial
terpenoid
The terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, are a class of naturally occurring organic chemicals derived from the 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes, diterpenes, etc. While sometimes used interchangeably with "terpenes" ...
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 eco ...
s. Plants in the genus ''
Humulus
''Humulus'', 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 main ...
'' and ''
Cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
'' produce terpenophenolic metabolites. Examples of terpenophenolics are:
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Bakuchiol
Bakuchiol is a meroterpene (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 name of ...
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Ferruginol
Ferruginol is a natural phenol with a terpenoid substructure. Specifically, it is a diterpene of the abietane chemical class, meaning it is characterized by three fused six-membered rings and alkyl functional groups. Ferruginol was first identifie ...
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Mutisianthol
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Totarol
Totarol is a naturally produced diterpene that is bioactive as totarol. It was first isolated by McDowell and Esterfield from the heartwood of ''Podocarpus totara'', a conifer tree found in New Zealand.Short, W. F.; Stromberg, H. ''J. Chem. Soc.'' ...
Terpenophenolics can also be isolated from animals. The terpenophenolics
methoxyconidiol,
epiconicol and
didehydroconicol, isolated from the ascidian ''
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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