Description
Book SynopsisThis volume is a compilation of plenary lectures presented at the IOCD/CYTED Symposium held in Panama City, Panama in 1997, and covers different aspects of research into plants from North, South and Central America. The topics treated all revolve around the chemistry, pharmacology, and biology of these plants. The importance of pharmaceuticals derived from plant sources is described, together with the potential of ethnomedicine for providing new leads in the search for bioactive constituents. The biodiversity of the Americas is underlined and an idea is given of the urgency with which the flora must be studied.
Table of ContentsLessons from natural medicines; application of LC/MS and LC/NMR in the search for new bioactive compounds from plants of the Americas; the quest for new biologically active natural products; pharmacochemistry of new compounds from South American plant bioassay methods useful for activity-guided isolation of natural product cancer chemopreventive agents; biodiversity conservation and drug development in Suriname; antimicrobial activities of phytochemicals from British Columbian medicinal plants; bioactive compounds from Panamanian plants; bioactive natural products of medicinal and agrochemical interest from selected Mexican medicinal plants; the Brazilian folk medicine programme to validate medicinal plants - a topic in new antihypersensitive drug research; recent developments in the chemistry and pharmacology of boldo and boldine; metabolic engineering - a strategy to improve plant secondary metabolite production.
