Page 1
Page 1
img

Chemistry of natural products : phytochemistry and pharmacognosy of medicinal plants

Plants produce secondary metabolites that humans harness for their own benefit. About half of drugs currently in clinical use are based on these chemicals found in nature. Chemistry of Natural Products covers secondary metabolites present in medicinal plants and their biosynthesis, biological activities, and isolation and separation techniques.

img

Chaperones

Molecular chaperones interact with virtually every newly synthesized protein. Their role is not limited to this, as an increasing number of protein-protein interactions are found to be mediated by molecular chaperones. They reside in large complexes, in every cellular compartment, and to some extent even outside cells. These proteins are of interest to a large number of scientists, not only to those interested in protein biosynthesis, but also in relation to protein transport, organelle biogenesis, and cell stress.

img

Biocombinatorial approaches for drug finding

Genome- and proteome-based research is generating a significant increase in the number of available drug targets. Correspondingly there is an increasing need for novel, diverse compounds, particularly based on natural compounds, as screening resource

img

Biochemistry and molecular biology of antimicrobial drug action

This stimulating new edition of the well-respected title Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Antimicrobial Drug Action primarily covers medically important antimicrobial agents, but also includes some compounds not in current medical use which have been invaluable as research tools in biochemistry.

img

Bacterial regulatory RNA : Methods and protocols

Details new and updated methods used for studying prokaryotic non-coding RNAs and their protein accomplices. Chapters detail discovery of ncRNAs, characterization of their structure, functions, and their interactomes. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

img

Aromatase Inhibitors

Many breast tumours are dependent upon oestrogen for their development and continued growth. Over the last 25 years hormone therapy has progressed from the irreversible destruction of endocrine glands to the use of drugs that reversibly suppress oestrogen synthesis or action. The inhibition of oestrogen synthesis is most readily achieved by inhibiting the final step in the pathway of oestrogen biosynthesis, the reaction which transforms androgens into oestrogens by creating an aromatic ring in the steroid molecule (hence the enzyme's trivial name, aromatase). Whereas the first aromatase inhibitors to be used therapeutically could be shown to produce drug-induced inhibition of the enzyme and therapeutic benefits in patients with breast cancer, they were not particularly potent and lacked specificity. However, second-generation drugs were developed and most recently third-generation inhibitors have evolved which possess remarkable specificity and potency. Initial results from clinical trials suggest that these agents will become the cornerstones of future endocrine therapy.

img

Aromatase Inhibitors

Many breast tumours are dependent upon oestrogen for their development and continued growth. Over the last 25 years hormone therapy has progressed from the irreversible destruction of endocrine glands to the use of drugs that reversibly suppress oestrogen synthesis or action. The inhibition of oestrogen synthesis is most readily achieved by inhibiting the final step in the pathway of oestrogen biosynthesis, the reaction which transforms androgens into oestrogens by creating an aromatic ring in the steroid molecule (hence the enzyme's trivial name, aromatase). Whereas the first aromatase inhibitors to be used therapeutically could be shown to produce drug-induced inhibition of the enzyme and therapeutic benefits in patients with breast cancer, they were not particularly potent and lacked specificity. However, second-generation drugs were developed and most recently third-generation inhibitors have evolved which possess remarkable specificity and potency. Initial results from clinical trials suggest that these agents will become the cornerstones of future endocrine therapy.

img

Applications of Plant Metabolic Engineering

Written by leading international experts in the field of plant metabolic engineering, this book discusses, mainly, applications of plant metabolic engineering. Metabolic engineering, which is part of second generation biotechnology, has made several contributions at basic level as well as at conceptualising products ever since its emergence in the early 1980s. Applications resulting from metabolic engineering are expected to play a very important role in future for plant breeding, e.g. for improved resistance or improved traits concerning health promoting constituents, and production of fine chemicals such as medicines, flavors and fragrances.

img

Antimalarial natural products

Begins with a short history of malaria and follows with a summary of its biology. It then traces the fascinating history of the discovery of quinine for malaria treatment, and then describes quinine’s biosynthesis, its mechanism of action, and its clinical use, concluding with a discussion of synthetic antimalarial agents based on quinine’s structure. It also covers the discovery of artemisinin and its development as the source of the most effective current antimalarial drug, including summaries of its synthesis and biosynthesis, its mechanism of action, and its clinical use and resistance. A short discussion of other clinically used antimalarial natural products leads to a detailed treatment of additional natural products with significant antiplasmodial activity, classified by compound type.

img

Amino acid biosynthesis : Pathways, regulation and metabolic engineering

Amino Acids Biosynthesis presents the current knowledge of fundamental as well as applied microbiology of amino acids. Topics discussed are the amino acid biosynthetic pathways, their genetic and biochemical regulation, transport of amino acids and genomics of producing microorganisms. The characterization of the control mechanisms of amino acid biosynthesis has revealed insights into principles of genetic and biochemical regulation, such as transcriptional regulators and a new class of regulatory elements, the riboswitch. The volume further deals with the metabolic engineering of microorganisms for the biotechnological production of amino acids for use as pharmaceuticals and, particularly, as food and feed additives.

img

Algal Toxins : Nature, Occurrence, Effect and Detection

This volume contains the lectures and seminars given at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on “Sensor Systems for Biological Threads: The Algal Toxins Case”, held in Pisa, Italy in October, 2007. Algae can form heavy growths in ponds, lakes, reservoirs and sl- moving rivers throughout the world; algae can house toxins which are - ually released into water when the cells rupture or die. Hundreds of toxins have been identified so far. Detection methods, including rapid screening, have been developed to help us learning more about them, especially to find out which toxins are a real threat for people and what conditions encourage their production and accumulation. Early detection of algal toxins is an - portant aspect for public safety and natural environment, and significant efforts are underway to develop effective and reliable tools that can be used for this purpose.

img

Algal Toxins : Nature, Occurrence, Effect and Detection

This volume contains the lectures and seminars given at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on “Sensor Systems for Biological Threads: The Algal Toxins Case”, held in Pisa, Italy in October, 2007. Algae can form heavy growths in ponds, lakes, reservoirs and sl- moving rivers throughout the world; algae can house toxins which are - ually released into water when the cells rupture or die. Hundreds of toxins have been identified so far. Detection methods, including rapid screening, have been developed to help us learning more about them, especially to find out which toxins are a real threat for people and what conditions encourage their production and accumulation. Early detection of algal toxins is an - portant aspect for public safety and natural environment, and significant efforts are underway to develop effective and reliable tools that can be used for this purpose.

img

Advanced chemical biology : chemical dissection and reprogramming of biological systems

Organized around the central dogma of life, progressing from genes to proteins and higher-order cellular structures, including core application areas such as imaging, chemical genetics, activity-based protein profiling, and natural product discovery and biosynthesis. Advanced topics and applications in, e. g., microbiology, developmental biology, and neurobiology, are covered in separate sections.

img

Cellulose : Molecular and Structural Biology : Selected Articles on the Synthesis, Structure, and Applications of Cellulose

Cellulose: Molecular and Structural Biology is an up-to-date treatise on the most advanced and provocative research into the biosynthesis, structure, and applications of nature’s most abundant macromolecule and renewable resource, cellulose.Molecular, biochemical, and evolutionary aspects of cellulose biosynthesis are reviewed in a variety of living organisms, including cyanobacteria, eubacteria, (Acetobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli), vascular plants (including Arabidopsis, forest trees, and maize), and tunicates.

img

Bioactive Heterocycles V

This volume contains 10 chapters. The contributions are from researchers famous in their respective fields and the chapters contain high quality reviews on topics related to the chemo-biological studies of several different heterocyclic groups. The first chapter from Saracoglu reviews the functionalization of indoles and the pyrroles via Michael additions, as these compounds have potential for their biological activities. In second chapter Men ́endez reviews the chemistry of the welwitindolinones. Topcu and Demirkiran, in the third chapter, describe the chemistry and biological studies of lignans from Taxus species, including their biosynthesis and recent strategies for the synthesis of lignans.

img

Bioactive Heterocycles IV

This volume contains nine more contributions from expert researchers of the?eld, providing readers with in depth and current research results regarding therespective topics. In the?rst chapter, Flemming et al. review the chemistry, biosynthesis, metabolism and biological activities of tetrahydrocannabinol and its deri- tives. Hansch and Verma contribute to the quantitative structure-activity re- tionship (QSAR) analysis of heterocyclic topoisomerase I and II inhibitors. These inhibitors, knowntoinhibit either enzyme, actasantitumoragentsand are currently used in chemotherapy and in clinicaltrials. In the third chapter, Khan reviews some aspects of molecular modeling studies on biologically active alkaloids.

img

Bioactive Heterocycles III

Bioactive Heterocycles III provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the most recent breakthroughs in the ?eld of heterocycles. This volume contains 8 chapters written by experts in their respective ?elds from all over the world. The chapters summarize years of extensive research in each area, and providein sight in the new themesofnaturalproduct research.Manyofthe contributors illustrate their laboratory experiences. It's obvious that readers will gain exciting and essential information fromthe volume. In the ?rst chapter, Kayser et al. describe the chemistry, biosynthesis and biological activities of artemisinin, one of the most promising antimalarial molecules, and its related natural peroxides.

img

Anthracycline Chemistry and Biology I : Biological Occurence and Biosynthesis, Synthesis and Chemistry

"This book … covers many different aspects of the origin, chemistry, and biosynthesis of one of the oldest but most important classes of anticancer agents. … In summary, the book is nicely produced, very well edited, and should serve as a valuable source of information … . This book will serve as an inspiration for scientists and students in the areas of chemistry, drug discovery, and biological evaluation. It should be an essential addition to institutional library collections … ."

Results Per Page