A Química das Especiarias e suas Correlações

Abstract

Spices is a topic that immediately refers to the period of the Great Navigations and the importance of these products to promote commerce and the search for riches. This led to the discovery of sea routes, new lands and an integrated vision of the planet. “The Spices and their Correlations with Organic Chemistry” is an educational product aimed at high school students whose starting point is Spices and which aims to place the reader in front of those responsible for the properties of Spices and other plants, the chemical substances presente in them. These are designated as secondary metabolites and organized into classes, such as alkaloids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc... Each class is produced by its own metabolic route, from precursors, and the production process is called biosynthesis. In a plant, substances occur in complex mixtures and for their characterization it is necessary that it be purified. Chromatography, in its several variables, is the main technique used in the purification of these substances. Once purified, the characterization of its chemical structure requires the use of physical methods of analysis, among which nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy stands out. These are the topics covered in this Educational Product, in a light way, in a more graphic than textual form, making this set of information accessible to a high school student and through the mediation of a teacher.