Sesquiterpene Phenomics and Biological Activity
Summary
Sesquiterpene phenomics encompasses the systematic characterisation of the vast array of C15 terpenoid compounds produced by plants, fungi and certain marine organisms, integrating high‐throughput metabolomic profiling with phenotypic and bioactivity assays. By cataloguing structural diversity—ranging from germacrane and eudesmane skeletons to guaianolides and bisabolanes—this approach seeks to map molecular features onto biological endpoints such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cytotoxic and neuroprotective effects. Advances in mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance and computational annotation enable rapid deconvolution of complex extracts, while network analysis links genetic and environmental variables to sesquiterpene accumulation and functional performance. The practical applications are far-reaching: accelerating discovery of lead compounds for drug development, informing sustainable pest-management strategies via antifeedant or antifungal natural products, and guiding metabolic engineering in microbial or plant platforms. Through cross-species comparison, sesquiterpene phenomics also sheds light on evolutionary trajectories of specialised metabolism and offers a predictive framework for structure–activity relationships that underlie the next generation of biobased solutions.
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Sesquiterpene Phenomics and Biological Activity publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in sesquiterpene phenomics and biological activity across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Sesquiterpene: A class of C15 isoprenoid natural products derived from three isoprene units, exhibiting diverse ring systems and biological functions.
Phenomics: The large-scale measurement of phenotypes, integrating chemical profiles with functional assays to establish links between molecular structure and biological effect.
Sesquiterpene lactone: A subclass of sesquiterpenes characterised by an α-methylene-γ-lactone moiety, often responsible for potent bioactivities such as anti-inflammatory or cytotoxic effects.
Structure–activity relationship (SAR): The analysis of how specific chemical modifications in a molecule influence its potency, selectivity and mechanism of action in biological systems.
References
- Antibacterial and Antifungal Sesquiterpenoids: Chemistry, Resource, and Activity. Biomolecules (2022).
- Sesquiterpenoids from Artemisia vestita and Their Antifeedant and Antifungal Activities. Molecules (2019).
- Cytotoxic Sesquiterpenoids from Ammoides atlantica Aerial Parts. Journal of Natural Products (2022).
- Chemical Constituents from the Aerial Parts of Artemisia iwayomogi and Their Anti-Neuroinflammatory Activities. Plants (2022).
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