Normal metabolites

Normal metabolites are small molecules that are the intermediates or end products of normal metabolic processes within cells. They are not a single molecule but rather a class of compounds that includes amino acids, nucleotides, sugars, lipids, organic acids, vitamins, and others[1][3][7][8]. Primary metabolites are directly involved in growth, development, and reproduction and are essential for normal physiological function, while secondary metabolites often have ecological or specialized roles[3][7][9]. The human body contains thousands of metabolites, and their presence, absence, or concentration changes form the basis of metabolic profiling and biomarker discovery[1][4][10]. Metabolites regulate biological pathways, serve as signaling molecules, alter protein activities, and are central to homeostasis, but "normal metabolites" as a collective is not a druggable target, receptor, or enzyme, and so is not classified as a therapeutic molecular target[1][2][4][5].

Other names

metabolitesprimary metabolitessecondary metabolitesmetabolic intermediates