Terpenes and Terpenoids: Natures Perfume
Have you ever walked by a bush of fragrant flowers only to be washed in their delightful scent? Or enjoyed the taste of a freshly picked berry? Both experiences tickling our senses and creating an aromatic moment of pleasure. At the root are tiny little phytochemical made of carbon, hydrogen and the occasional oxygen; they are terpenes! And their derivatives.
Every single human on this planet has experienced terpenes in their life. In the ways described above but also in subtler ways, ways you may not have even noticed. We encounter them so often that our bodies are adapted to identify and even utilize some of these compounds! In particular, terpenoids are some of the most bioactive compounds in existence. Terpenoids are derived from terpenes, but before we dive into those let me give you a bit of background on terpenes!
Terpenes (and terpenoids) are secondary metabolites found in plants, animals, microbes, and other natural sources. Secondary metabolites are compounds produced in an organism that are not necessarily essential in their growth or reproduction. However it is now accepted that many secondary metabolites do play a key role in survival because they determine how the organism interacts with its environment. Formed during the reactions catalyzed by enzymes on primary metabolites (primary metabolites include carbohydrates/sugars, amino acids, vitamins, ect) terpenes and terpenoids are just a fraction of those in existence. Most notably their presence in plants has been a focus of study for many, but they are produced by many organisms.
Terpenes are one of the largest groups of secondary metabolites, consisting of isoprene (a five carbon chain, shown above) assembled in a variety of ways. Terpenoids, aka isoprenoids, are organic compounds derived from isoprene and terpenes. They have additional functional groups compared to terpenes, usually containing oxygen. These functional groups make most of them bioactive meaning they can influence our bodies. In fact terpenoids have been shown to be anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiparasitic, analgesic (pain relieving) and tumor preventing. They are used across many industries as antiparasitics to fight Malaria, treatments for cancer, flavorings and colorants in food and cosmetics, and even as a treatment for depression.
This allows them to be used as a tool in holistic healing. Consider aromatherapy where the essential oils of plants are utilized to elicit emotions. Within those essential oils are terpenes!! They are quite volatile meaning they will evaporate quickly and can be absorbed by inhalation. These compounds are essential to the function of aromatherapy and so many other practical applications of herbalism. When stabilized and diluted in an oil they can be topically applied or even ingested. They are an essential part to smokable herbs as well. In fact the terms indica and sativa in reference to cannabis are thought to be indicative of their different terpene profiles!
So let's dive into this a little more! Terpenes inhaled are actually able to change our moods. It sounds crazy, but they are able to modify the rate of dopamine and serotonin metabolism and increase it, in turn making us feel happy! This can be felt by inhalation and also ingestion. In addition topical applications of terpenes have even shown evidence of anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and other activities. There are so many different effects that terpenes have on the body! I plan on doing a breakdown of these effects in more detail based on the individual compounds themselves. If you found this interesting and want to learn more, stay tuned!!
