Plant-derived Natural Products

by Osbourn, Anne E.; Lanzotti, Virginia

• ISBN13: 9780387854977
• ISBN10: 0387854975
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-07-17
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

Plants produce a huge array of natural products (secondary metabolites). These compounds have important ecological functions, providing protection against attack by herbivores and microbes and serving as attractants for pollinators and seed-dispersing agents. They may also contribute to competition and invasiveness by suppressing the growth of neighboring plant species (a phenomenon known as allelopathy). Humans exploit natural products as sources of drugs, flavoring agents, fragrances and for a wide range of other applications. Rapid progress has been made in recent years in understanding natural product synthesis, regulation and function and the evolution of metabolic diversity. It is timely to bring this information together with contemporary advances in chemistry, plant biology, ecology, agronomy and human health to provide a comprehensive guide to plant-derived natural products. Plant-derived natural products: synthesis, function and application provides an informative and accessible overview of the different facets of the field, ranging from an introduction to the different classes of natural products through developments in natural product chemistry and biology to ecological interactions and the significance of plant-derived natural products for humans. In the final section of the book a series of chapters on new trends covers metabolic engineering, genome-wide approaches, the metabolic consequences of genetic modification, developments in traditional medicines and nutraceuticals, natural products as leads for drug discovery and novel non-food crops.

Author Biography

Professor Anne Osbourn is Head of the Department of Metabolic Biology at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK, where she runs a research programme on plant-derived natural products. Her research is focused on the synthesis and function of plant-derived natural products and on mechanisms underpinning metabolic diversification. Professor Virginia Lanzotti is associate professor of organic chemistry at University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy and Meetings Secretary of the Phytochemical Society of Europe (PSE). Her research is focused on the stereostructure of natural products, drug discovery, food chemistry, and soil organic matter phytotoxicity. Winner of the 2003 PSE-Pierre Fabre award for excellence in phytochemistry.

Table of Contents

The Chemical Composition of Plants
Introduction to the Different Classes of Natural Products	p. 3
Natural Products from Seaweeds	p. 51
Use of Secondary Metabolite Variation in Crop Improvement	p. 83
Approaches to the Analysis of Plant-Derived Natural Products	p. 97
Opportunities and Challenges for Ethnobotany at the Start of the Twenty-First Century	p. 127
Secondary Metabolite Biosynthesis
Introduction to the Different Classes of Biosynthetic Enzymes	p. 143
Methods for Molecular Identification of Biosynthetic Enzymes in Plants	p. 165
Regulation of Secondary Metabolism by Jasmonate Hormones	p. 181
Metabolite Channeling and Multi-enzyme Complexes	p. 195
Glycosylation of Secondary Metabolites and Xenobiotics	p. 209
Handling Dangerous Molecules: Transport and Compartmentation of Plant Natural Products	p. 229
Participation of Phytochemicals in Plant Development and Growth	p. 269
Biological Activity
Biological Activity of Defence-Related Plant Secondary Metabolites	p. 283
The Role of Natural Products in Plant-Microbe Interactions	p. 301
Role of Natural Products in Nature: Plant-Insect Interactions	p. 321
Oligosaccharide Signalling Molecules	p. 349
Biological Activity of Allelochemicals	p. 361
Health Benefits of Dietary Plant Natural Products	p. 385
Floral Scents and Fruit Aromas Inspired by Nature	p. 405
New Trends
Bioengineering	p. 435
Genome Wide Approaches in Natural Product Research	p. 475
Metabolomics and the Detection of Unintended Effects in Genetically Modified Crops	p. 505
Recent Advances in Traditional Medicines and Dietary Supplements	p. 533
Plant-Derived Natural Products as Leads for Drug Discovery	p. 547
Speciality Non-food Crops	p. 569
Index	p. 585
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