ABSTRACT
Bryophytes, phylogenetically placed between the algae and pteridophytes, include three groups of structurally simple embryophytes, namely mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Bryophytes are considered to be the oldest terrestrial plants. Most plant biologists believe that they evolved from a single algal ancestor in the Charophyta. As the first land plants, they have retained many innovations that had enabled the adaptation of these plants to the terrestrial environment. One of such important innovations is the elaboration of an enormously diverse array of secondary metabolites, including terpenoids. While many terpenoids are observed in both bryophytes and seed plants, some are unique to bryophytes. The enormously rich diversity of terpenoids is observed mainly in liverworts. This diversity is associated with the presence of oil bodies, which are a prominent and highly distinctive organelles uniquely found only in these spore-forming plants. Existing literature indicates that terpenoids and other volatiles made by bryophytes have important functions in diverse biological and ecological processes, and are also known to have interesting biological properties such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, neurotropic, insect repellent, cytotoxic, and apoptosis-inducing activities, among others. This chapter reviews current knowledge of terpenoid secondary metabolites and other volatile components in bryophytes from three perspectives: chemical diversity, chemotaxonomy, and biological functions.
