Terpenoids: The Biological Key Molecules

Abstract

Terpenoids are known to have a large range of biological functions in animal cells. The steroid hormones of animals are terpenoid in nature with advanced modified structures. Terpenes have an exclusive and unique chemical structure containing an integral number of five-carbon (5C or isoprene) units such as monoterpene (C-10), sesquiterpenes (C-15), diterpenes (C-20), triterpenes (C-30), tetraterpenes (C-40) and polyterpenoids (containing more than 40 isoprene units). A cellular communication may consist of an intermingle consequences of different types of terpenoids, enabling many permutations and combination with respect to isoprene units. The words terpenes, isoprenoids and terpenoids are often used for the same structural formulas; yet these chemical compounds are responsible for modulating very different cellular signaling pathways—for example, NFκB, JAK-STAT, apoptotic, GPCR, MAPK/ERK, TGF, NOTCH, and Hedgehog—as the main key messenger molecules. The terpenoid-associated modifications of these pathways are highlighted as far as possible in a simplistic manner for better understating by the reader. In summary, this chapter provides important insights into terpenoids, focusing not only on the fact that are they chemical compounds but that they also play vital roles in signal transduction in animal cells. The discussion in this chapter may help to decipher this mutual interest and relationship for better human health.