Variational Aspects of Secondary Metabolites

Phytochemistry refers to the quantitative and qualitative analysis of plant metabolites including more particularly secondary metabolites (SMs). SMs provide specialized tasks to productive plants in terms of defense and communication. They are characterized by their sensitive variations in responses to external (environmental) factors and internal (physiological, genetic) states of producer organisms. This sensitivitySensitivity involves the synthesis of specific metabolites, regulationRegulationratio balances between metabolites and sets of metabolites (metabolicMetabolicprofile profiles) leading to adaptive chemical responses or protective strategies. Environmental (biotic, abiotic) stresses exert continuous, regular or sudden disturbances to plants which react by defense and survival ways based on quantitative and qualitative variations of some SMs. Such defensive and adaptive chemical reactions are modulated by varying regulationRegulationratio ratiosRegulation ratios between different metabolites. The set of all the metabolites participating in chemical responses to stress form a metabolicMetabolicprofile profile that provides a more integrative picture on plant-environment interactions associated with a given stress applied to a considered plant (taxon).