Glossary – phytochemistry (under construction)

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H-lignin – referring to a kind of lignin in which there is a major percentage of p-hydroxyphenyl units – p-coumaryl is the alcohol – and which is found mostly in monocotyledons

Habropetalal – a 4-benzofuran carboxaldehyde found in Dioncophyllaceae

Haemochorin – an arylphenalenone

Hamaudol – a pyranochromone

Hemicellulose – matrix of polysaccharides containing galactose, xylose, etc. (basically, non-cellulosic polysaccharides), and cross-linking cellulose molecules

Hemlock alkaloids – a type of pyridine alkaloids found in, e.g., Conium (Apiaceae); examples are coniine, conhydrine and pseudoconhydrine

Hentriacontane – untriacontane; an an alkane hydrocarbon present in, e.g., gum arabic (Acacia)

Hesperetin – a flavanone

Heterodendrin – one of two diastereoisomeric cyanogenic glucosides; the second one is epi-heterodendrin

Hexitol – a straight-chained sugar alcohol or polyol, i.e. an alditol with six -OH groups, e.g. mannitol and sorbitol

Homoerythrina – a group of alkaloids derived from tyrosine and phenylalanine

Hordenine – a Hordeum alkaloid, simple alkaloid derived from the aromatic amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine

Humulones – α-lupulic acids; bitter-tasting α-acids, present in Humulus

Hydnocarpic acid – a cyclopentenyl fatty acid

Hydrastine – an isoquinoline alkaloid

Hydrolyzable tannins – including gallotannins and ellagitannins, complex esters of gallic acid with a carbohydrate (usually glucose), the ester linkages may be hydrolyzed by boiling with dilute hydrochloric acid; usually amorphous, hygroscopic, yellow-brown substances which dissolve in water to form colloidal rather than true solutions

Hydroquinones – a class of quinones, aromatic phenolic compounds in which two atoms of hydrogen are replaced by two hydroxyl groups

Hydroxycinnamic acid – a hydroxyl derivative of cinnamic acid

Hygroline – an alkaloid accompanying cocaine in the leaves of Erythroxylon coca

Hyoscyamine – a tropane alkaloid

Hyperforin – a light-sensitive prenylated phloroglucinol derivative, present in Hypericaceae

Hypericin – a naphthodianthrone, an anthraquinone derivative, present in Hypericaceae