Chemical Education Today
Book & Media Reviews Natural Product Chemistry: A Mechanistic, Biosynthetic and Ecological Approach, Second Edition Kurt B. G. Torssell. Swedish Pharmaceutical Press: Stockholm, 1997. 480 pp. ISBN 91-8627-463-5. $65.00.
This textbook would be a great text for an advanced organic chemistry course. When students first look at this book and see all the various mechanisms they may be turned off, but it is a comprehensive overview of the pathways that occur in nature. With the increased awareness of the beauty of biochemical pathways, this book provides an excellent chance for students to become aware of the natural chemistry that occurs around them. Most chemistry majors never get the opportunity to look at these complex pathways unless they are fortunate enough to take a biochemistry course as an elective, and then they get only a cursory overview. I would even suggest that biochemistry majors take a course that uses this book as a required text, especially with the chapter on chemical ecology. The book is divided into nine chapters, seven of which cover the major synthetic pathways seen in nature: shikimates, terpenoids, alkaloids, carbohydrates, polyketides (fats and cyclic compounds), amino acids, and the N-heteroaromatics (porphyrins, pyrimidines, etc.). The introductory chapter gives a brief overview of biosynthesis and the principal pathways. It begins with a list of important literature and reference books for the instructor and student to use for extra reading. This chapter also gives a good review of the basic reaction mechanisms used throughout the text, such as redox, eliminations, and carbonium ion rearrangements. The second chapter deals with chemical ecology. The author defines terms that may be new to the typical chemistry student (one who normally doesn’t take a biology course) and flows into how different environments have affected the
edited by
Edward J. Walsh Allegheny College Meadville, PA 16335
production of various compounds. For instance, during a drought, drought-adapted plants have shown high levels of the amino acid proline, which has a special osmotic effect in plants. Proline also has a biochemical role in the adaptation of plants to salinity. Torssell also points out the importance of various plant–animal, plant–plant, and plant–microorganism relationships, as well as chemical defense and attraction (e.g., pheromones). The next seven chapters deal with the actual pathways mentioned earlier. The synthetic pathways are treated in all chapters. For the average student this may be disconcerting, but for an advanced class it would be fine. The use of arrows in the reaction mechanisms is complete and accurate with the use of single- and double-headed arrows when appropriate. Chapters three through eight provide problems, with answers given at the end of the book. Some of the answers are not complete, but the students are told where to look for the answers. One thing I liked about the problems was that they were taken directly from the literature and the references were given to force students to look them up. A few of the problems actually ask the student to search the literature for the answer. The only chapters without problems are the first two and the last one. One of my areas of interest is porphyrins, so I would have liked to have seen problems in this chapter. Since I have not read the first edition, I cannot comment on the revisions made, but the inclusion of the chapter on chemical ecology will make the book attractive to a greater audience. Overall, I found the book interesting and informative. There are portions of this book that could be used even in an advanced biochemistry course involving metabolism. Pamela K. Kerrigan Joined Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry College of Mnt. St. Vincent/Manhattan College Riverdale, NY 10471
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 76 No. 6 June 1999 • Journal of Chemical Education
759
