Essay On Secondary Metabolites

ABSTRACT

Metabolites are molecular substances formed during various metabolic reactions, can be categorized as primary or secondary depending on their consequent functions. Primary metabolites have specific functions and are essential to the plants growth and survival. In turn secondary metabolites although important but are not essential for the plants’ growth but have a very huge role in upbringing of the plant. Consequently plants produce secondary metabolites with outstanding functions in defense against predators and microbial pathogens depending on their toxic nature and repellence to herbivores and microbes. They are involved in defense against varieties of various stresses. Secondary metabolites are important for the communication of the plants with other organisms (Schafer et al., 2009) but they are not

Plant pathogens have being a great threat to plant growth and seed germination. Resistance of seed pathogens is very crucial for plant species to be able to survive from one generation to another. During imbibitions, there must be a complex mixture of chemical compounds within a plant which contains the secondary metabolites (flavonoids, peptides, terpenoids, amino acids, alkaloids, and some other biological materials). for pathogen control. Whether individually or collectively, these molecules though seed exudates can be a powerful source of biological control. For example, aqueous seed rinses from Phaseolus bean and pea have been shown to reduce pathogen infection of seeds and also control seedling attack by pathogenic Rhizoctonia and Pythium species (Kraft 1974). As there was no active ingredient added, it is reputed that the alkaloids, terpenoids, peptides, amino acids and other unknown molecules are involved in control of fungal pathogens when the seeds where soaked in water because most of these molecules are released when there is presence of