natural compounds
Nature-made chemical combinations
Natural compounds are chemical substances produced by living organisms—plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria—rather than synthesized in laboratories.
The term distinguishes these from synthetic compounds: Aspirin was derived from natural compounds found in willow bark.
Natural compounds include alkaloids, terpenes, and flavonoids, many of which have medicinal or industrial applications.
- alkaloidsNitrogen-based organic compounds
- phytochemicalsBioactive plant-derived compounds
- glycosidesSugar-linked chemical compounds
- phenolicsHydroxylated aromatic compounds
- flavonoidsPolyphenolic plant metabolites
oil · steroids · fatty acids · pheromones · antioxidants · tannins · alkanes · bioactive · active ingredients · polysaccharides · amino acids · lipids · carotenoids · nucleic acids · biopolymers · terpenes · saponins · ketones
natural compoundssynthetic chemicals
Artificially produced molecular substances
petrochemicals · industrial chemicals · synthetic drugs · plastics · synthetic dyes