Book Review pubs.acs.org/jnp
Review of Studies in Natural Products Chemistry Volume 48 Bioactive Natural Products bioactivities currently known from compounds derived from endolichenic sources. This is followed by Chapter 12, which examines cyanobacteria as a source for food supplements, the hype surrounding spirulina, and the challenges of substance identification and quantification in naturally sourced algae. The book ends on a high note with a review of NPs derived from actinobacteria associated with marine organisms. Li and coauthors give a nice introduction to the topic and focus on actinobacteria associated with sponges, cyanobacteria, mollusks, and bryozoans, among others. The chemical entities are organized by their synthetic origin and include polyketides, phenazines, peptides, indolcarbazoles, sterols, and others. This review covers all chemical classes, with an emphasis on spongederived metabolites. Overall, Volume 48 in Studies in Natural Products Chemistry is a solid addition to this long-running book series. It follows the successful format of this series, in which the chapters are loosely connected and cover a broad range of topics of interest to natural products researchers. Studies in Natural Products Chemistry has found its niche in terms of topic selection and continues to publish chapters well worth reading. The audience for this volume is upper level graduate to professional readers and natural product chemists, medicinal chemists, and pharmacologists in academia and in the pharmaceutical industry.
Studies in Natural Products Chemistry, Volume 48, Bioactive Natural Products. Edited by Atta-ur-Rahman. Elsevier. 2016. 470 pp. $295.00 ISBN 9780444636027. Studies in Natural Products Chemistry, Volume 48, is one of the newest additions in this popular book series. Similar to previous volumes, it covers a diverse range of topics related to the chemistry, bioactivity, synthesis, and biological sources of natural products (NPs). Each chapter is a stand-alone review that typically begins with an introduction to the study topic, then examines a series of case studies, and concludes with a discussion of emerging directions in the field. The first two chapters cover recent advances in NP synthesis. The first chapter describes progress in C−H functionalization and shows nine total syntheses illustrating different C−H functionalization strategies. The following chapter reviews synthesis of nonribosomal proteins and presents case studies for gramicidin, cyclosporin, enterobactin, and others. Both chapters stress current developments, which makes them both informative and enjoyable to read. Chapters 3, 4, 8, and 9 explore different types of bioactivity observed in phytochemicals. The anti-inflammatory properties of flavonoids are presented in Chapter 3, including the mechanisms underlying the small-molecule modulation of inflammatory pathways. The volatile and nonvolatile constituents of turmeric and ginger are reviewed and compared in Chapter 4. Plant metabolites active against tropical diseases, in particular antiprotozoal agents, are covered in Chapter 8. Natural products potentially useful for the treatment of diabetes mellitus are described in Chapter 9, which includes a survey of plant-derived natural remedies that have demonstrated positive effects for diabetes patients. Several chapters provide reviews on a specific class of natural products, their activity, or their source. Chapter 5 is dedicated to 7−6−5 tricarbocyclic diterpenes and includes a nice description of their biosynthesis as well as recent total syntheses. Fructooligosaccharides are detailed in Chapter 6, which discusses their effects on the gut microbiota, immunomodulating activity, applications in weight management, and use as chemotherapeutic agents. Chapter 7 reviews metabolites from Psychotria species, including the bioactivities of various alkaloids and terpenes and their recent total syntheses. In Chapter 10, the isolation, structure elucidation, biological activities, and total syntheses of the prodelphinidin class of phytochemicals are presented. Detailed schemes and figures help to provide an overview of this complex class of plant metabolites, show the application of mass spectrometry to analyze the metabolites, and detail the antiproliferative effects of selected examples. Chapter 11 provides an especially interesting review of the chemistry of endolichenic fungi. The authors give a comprehensive overview of the compounds isolated from this source, including polyketides, terpenes, steroids, alkaloids, and peptides. They conclude their review with a description of the © 2017 American Chemical Society and American Society of Pharmacognosy
Sandra Loesgen
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Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States
AUTHOR INFORMATION
ORCID
Sandra Loesgen: 0000-0003-1090-564X Notes
The author declares no competing financial interest.
Published: June 6, 2017 1954
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.7b00439 J. Nat. Prod. 2017, 80, 1954−1954
