Phytochemical and Pharmacological Importance of Plant Secondary Metabolites in Modern Medicine

The use of plant extracts and their phytochemicals for control of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins

“…These major groups include phenolic compounds, flavonoids, phytosterols, carotenoids, tocols, terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, aromatic acids, glucosinolates, carotenoids, essential oils, chlorophyll and organic acids as well as proteases inhibitors ( Bhattachar, 2011 ; Adebo and Gabriela Medina-Meza, 2020 ; Loi et al., 2020 ). Such compounds may act directly or indirectly to protect against ailments or pathogens, because they contain antimutagenic, antigenotoxic, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, anticarcinogenic, antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant properties ( Galvano et al., 2001 ; Makhafola et al., 2017 ; Velu et al., 2018 ; Lahlou et al., 2019 ).…”

Role of Herbs and Medicinal Spices as Modulators of Gut Microbiota

“…These compounds intervene in the ecological interactions between the plant and its environment [25]. They also differ from the primary metabolites in that each of them has a restricted distribution in the plant kingdom, sometimes to only one species or a group of them, so many of them are useful in Systematic Botany [10]. For many years, the adaptive value of the most secondary metabolites was unknown.…”

“…The plants have characteristics that allow them to influence through their components not only by direct contact but also remotely by means of emanations. There are plants that through the emanations of their active ingredients can eliminate the spores of fungi, protozoa, and malignant bacteria [2,10]. The recognition of biological properties of many phytochemical compounds has encouraged the development of this field, for example, in the search for new drugs, antibiotics, insecticides, and herbicides.…”

“…The recognition of biological properties of many phytochemical compounds has encouraged the development of this field, for example, in the search for new drugs, antibiotics, insecticides, and herbicides. Moreover, the growing appreciation of the highly diverse biological effects of these compounds has led to the reevaluation of the different roles they have in plants, especially in the context of ecological interactions [10].…”

“…A large percentage of the active ingredients included are called "phytochemical compounds or secondary metabolites," which are chemical compounds of relatively complex structures and restricted distribution; among these metabolites, those with defensive functions against insects, bacteria, and fungi, among others, as alkaloids, non-protein amino acids, steroids, phenols, flavonoids, glycosides, coumarins, quinones, tannins, and terpenoids, are common. There is great variation in the concentration of these phytochemicals in the plant, and there is no maximum production pattern nor special storage organs; however, it is common that the highest concentrations of these types of compounds are in flowers, leaves, and seeds [9,10].…”