Glossary – phytochemistry (under construction)

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Naphthalene – an aromatic hydrocarbon with formula C₁₀H₈, containing a fused pair of benzene rings

Naphthoquinones – phenolic pigments, quinones in which a second aromatic ring is fused to the benzoquinone ring; naphthoquinones occur as free glycosides (e.g. droserone and plumbagin in some Caryophyllales)

Neoflavonoids – flavonoids in which a B-ring is attached to C-4 or as 4-phenylcoumarins

Neolignans – dimers derived from precursors related to those involved in the formation of lignin, i.e. the union of two C₆-C units of phenylpropane, cinnamic acid, or their derivatives; dimerization takes place via the aromatic rings instead of by the propanoid tail; neolignans are found especially in magnoliids and often together with monomeric allyl- and propenylphenols

Nepodin – 2-acetyl-3-methyl naphthalene-1,8-diol (1-(1,8-dihydroxy-3-methyl naphthalene-2-yl)ethanone), an anthracene derivative

Neutral oil – non-volatile oil made up of triglycerides – Opposite: essential oil

Nicotine – a pyridine alkaloid

Nitriles – non-toxic products of isothiocyanates with a R-C[triple bond]N structure

Nitrogenous anthocyanins – see Betalains

Non-hydrolyzable tannins – see Proanthocyanidins

Non-protein amino acids – amino acids not associated with proteins; many are important in the storage and transport of soluble nitrogen and are often present in large quantities in seeds, sometimes poisonous; approx. 600 different kinds of non-protein amino acids are known

Norbelladine alkaloids – a group of alkaloids derived from tyrosine and phenylalanine

Nortriterpenoids – subclass of triterpenoids in which some degradation has occurred resulting in a loss of four to eleven carbon atoms; examples include limonoids, bufadienolides, cardenolides and quassinoids