Synopses & Reviews
The volumes of this classic series, now referred to simply as "Zechmeister" after its founder, L. Zechmeister, have appeared under the Springer Imprint ever since the series' inauguration in 1938. The volumes contain contributions on various topics related to the origin, distribution, chemistry, synthesis, biochemistry, function or use of various classes of naturally occurring substances ranging from small molecules to biopolymers. Each contribution is written by a recognized authority in his field and provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the topic in question. Addressed to biologists, technologists, and chemists alike, the series can be used by the expert as a source of information and literature citations and by the non-expert as a means of orientation in a rapidly developing discipline.
Synopsis
Lignans, by convention, are a group of natural products that are formed by linking two phenylpropanoid units (C C units) by oxidative coupling. Most importantly, in 6 3 a lignan, two (C C units) are bound through the central carbon of their side chains, 6 3 0 i. e. the 8 and 8 positions (1, 2). The occurrence of C C -dimers, linked at sites other 6 3 0 than the 8-8 positions, is also known and these compounds have been termed neolignans (3, 4). As these two groups of compounds have close structural as well as biosynthetic relationships, they are often associated together and incorporated under the general term "lignan" (5). The diverse structural categorization of true lignans and of a few neolignans is presented in Fig. 1. Through the years, several review articles or books covering different facets of lignans, including their ch- istry (6, 7), biogenesis (8), synthesis (9), and biological activities (10) have been published. Enduring research for the investigation of secondary metabolites of plants has evidenced some compounds that are biogenetically related to true lignans or neolignans but bear some features not discerned in conventional lignans. These compounds or groups of compounds have been termed as "non-conventional lignans", and include coumarinolignans, ?avonolignans, and stilbenolignans. The non-conventional lignans, like the conventional ones, have two C C units linked 6 3 together but have additional structural features to place them also under the category of coumarins, ?avonoids, or stilbenes.
Table of Contents
List of Contributors
Nonconventional Lignans: Coumarinolignans, Flavonolignans, and Stilbenolignans
by Sajeli A. Begum, Mahendra Sahai, and Anil B. Ray
1. Introduction
2. Coumarinolignans
3. Flavonolignans
4. Stilbenolignans
References
Picrotoxanes
by Edda Gössinger
1. Introduction
2. Tabular Overview of the Picrotoxanes
3. Occurrence
4. Isolation of Picrotoxanes
5. Structure Determination of Picrotoxanes
6. Total Syntheses of Picrotoxanes
7. Biosynthesis of Picrotoxanes
8. Physiological Activity of Picrotoxanes
Abbreviations
References
Combinatorial and Synthetic Biosynthesis in Actinomycetes
by Marta Luzhetska, Johannes Härle, and Andreas Bechthold
1. Introduction
2. Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Synthetic Biosynthesis
References
Author Index
Subject Index