Rubber is a polyterpene present in the latex of many tropical plants. A molecule of rubber is made of 500–5000 isoprene units joined in a long straight chain.
Triterpenes are mostly the intermediate in the biosynthesis of cholesterol. Two such compounds are squalene and lanosterol. Their structures are as follows:
Diterpenes are found as substituents of resins and balsams. Abeitc and sapietic are the best-known diterpenes. Vitamins A1 and A2 are important monocyclic diterpenes. Phytol: It’s an acyclic diterpenes and is obtained from the hydrolysis of cholorophyll. Given below is its structure:
Important monoterpenes are myrcene (from oil of bay), geraniol (from rose oil), limonene (from lemon oil), and menthol (from peppermint oil). Their structures are given below: Among the sesquiterpenes, farnesol is widely distributed but is present in essential oils in small amounts. Its structure is as follows:
Among the non-saponifiable lipids found in plants are mainly hydrocarbon known as terpenes. The simplest terpenes are called monoterpenes and conform the formula C10H16 (equivalent to two isoprene units), sesquiterpenes with the formula C15H24, diterpenes with C2H32, and triterpenes C30H48.
They are concerned primarily with the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Example: Cortisone, cortisol, and corticosterone. The structure of cortisol is given below:
Mineralocorticoids are mainly involved in the transport of electrolytes and distribution of water. Examples are aldosterone and deoxycorticosterone. The structure of Aldosterone and Deoxycorticosterone is given below.
The adrenal glands are positioned at the top of the kidney. The glands have two distinct parts, namely an inner dark-coloured mass called the medulla and an outer covering layer called cortex.
Bile salts facilitate digestion of fat in the intestine by being emulsifying agents. They lower the surface tension of water and emulsify the fats, where it is exposed to the action of pancreatic lipase. In intestine, bile acids combine with mono and digycerides to form tiny particles called micelles, which are about 1/100th of size…