Shikimic Acid Pathway

Abstract

Most aromatic compounds in plants are derived from shikimic acid metabolism; many of these substances are phenols. Compounds derived from this pathway are extensively modified and considered under other classes of plant secondary metabolites. Although many types of secondary compounds are produced from intermediates of the shikimic acid pathway (e.g., certain naphthoquinones and anthraquinones discussed in Chapter 6), most are derived from four aromatic amino acids: phenylalanine, tyrosine, anthranilic acid, and tryptophan. Aromatic compounds that arise from the shikimic acid pathway usually can be distinguished from those of other origins by their substitution patterns and by a knowledge of the compounds with which they co-occur.