Distribution and biosynthesis of caffeine in plants

Methylxanthines and methyluric acids are secondary metabolites derived from purine nucleotides and are known collectively as purine alkaloids. The present review begins by summarizing the distribution of these compounds in the plant kingdom, and then provides an up-to-date account of the biosynthesi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFrontiers in bioscience Vol. 9; no. 1-3; pp. 1864 - 1876
Main Authors Ashihara, Hiroshi, Suzuki, Takeo
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.05.2004
Subjects
Alkaloids - metabolism
Biotechnology
Cacao - chemistry
Cacao - metabolism
Caffeine - analysis
Caffeine - biosynthesis
Camellia - chemistry
Camellia - metabolism
Coffea - chemistry
Coffea - metabolism
Coffee - chemistry
Plants - chemistry
Plants - metabolism
Plants, Genetically Modified - metabolism
Ribonucleosides - metabolism
Tea - chemistry
Xanthines - analysis
Xanthines - metabolism
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Summary:Methylxanthines and methyluric acids are secondary metabolites derived from purine nucleotides and are known collectively as purine alkaloids. The present review begins by summarizing the distribution of these compounds in the plant kingdom, and then provides an up-to-date account of the biosynthesis of purine alkaloids. The diversity of biosynthesis and accumulation between species and between tissues of different age is considered. We also discuss the physiological function of these purine alkaloids in plants and the biotechnology for creating caffeine-free plants.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-3
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ObjectType-Review-1
ISSN:1093-9946
1093-4715
DOI:10.2741/1367