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Caffeic acid as a taxonomic marker in dicotyledons
Author(s) -
Mølgaard Per
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
nordic journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.333
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1756-1051
pISSN - 0107-055X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1756-1051.1985.tb01648.x
Subject(s) - caffeic acid , proanthocyanidin , cinnamic acid , biology , botany , ferulic acid , biochemistry , antioxidant , polyphenol
Caffeic acid is plotted in the Dahlgren diagram and its distribution is compared to that of proanthocyanidins, the condensed tannins. The two chemicals derived from the same basic substance by a shift in the later steps in the pathway. Caffeic acid derivatives may be seen as more advanced constituents than proanthocyanidins. Caffeic acid may function as a biosynthetical sink for surplus cinnamic acid in a system where the end‐product, proanthocyanidins, has lost importance, and where lignin is not formed. Consequently, this may apply to all groups where a shift from woody to herbaceous habit has occurred, i.e. Asteridae, Araliiflorae and Ranuncu‐liflorae. This is used as an argument in the presentation of a theory that evolution in dicotyledons was dichotomous. One main Magnoliiflorean‐Caryophylliflorean group terminates in Ranunculiflorae and Caryophylliflorae with caffeic acid and ferulic acid, respectively. The other group, comprising most other dicotyledons, terminates in the Asteridae, also with caffeic acid. There is much evidence pointing towards a similar protective effect of caffeic acid as has long been known for the condensed tannins. The advantages of caffeic acid as compared to condensed tannins is the shorter biosynthetic pathway, the less carbon bound in the molecule, and the possibility of re‐entering the substance into the primary metabolism.