Terpenoid

Terpenoids, which are sometimes called isoprenoids, are a large and varied class of organic compounds found in nature and as with terpenes, are derived from five carbon isoprene units which are assembled and modified in thousands of different ways.

Most of these compounds have multi-ring structures which not only differ from each other according to their functional groups but also because of the basic structure of their hydrocarbon backbones. These lipids are found in all classes of living creatures, and are the largest group of natural compounds.

Plant terpenoids are widely used because of their aromatic properties. They are used in traditional herbal remedies and have been researched in order to discover antibacterial, antineoplastic or other pharmaceutical effects.