The opening chapter presents an overview of strategies for the synthesis of several classes of natural products with an emphasis on complex polycyclic systems. Subsequent chapters discuss the synthesis of specific classes of compounds, including morphine, polyketides, acetogenins, nonactic acid derivatives, complex spirocyclic ethers, delta-lactam and pyridone derivatives, inositol phosphates, sphingolipids, brassinosteroids, Hernandia lignans, and dimeric steroidal pyrazine alkaloids. Structure determination and biological function provide additional themes through many of these chapters. Structure is discussed more exclusively in chapters on liverwort desquiterpenoids, gymnemic acids, compounds of the Celastraceae plant family, fungal and protozoan gylcolipids, and coumarins. Finally, the ever stronger links between chemistry and biology are reinforced by chapters on the origin and function of secondary metabolites, bioactive conformations of gastrin hormones, and immunochemistry.
Strategies for the Stereocontrolled De Novo Synthesis of Natural Prdoucts (L.A. Paquette). A Historical Perspective of Morphine Synthesis (T. Hudlicky et al. ). New Developments in the Synthesis of Polyketides and of Chiral Methyl Groups (J. Mulzer). Total Stereoselective Synthesis of Acetogenins of Annonaceae: A New Class of Bioactive Polyketides (B. Figadere, A. Cave). The Synthesis of Nonactic Acid. Its Derviatives and Nonactin itself (I. Fleming, S.K. Ghosh). Total Synthesis of Bioactive Natural Spiroethers, Tautomycin and Oscillatoxin D (A. Ichihara et al. ). Aza-Annulation of Enamine Related Substrates with alpha,beta-Unsaturated Carboxylate Derivatives as a Route to the Selective Synthesis of delta-Lactams and Pyridones (J.R. Stille, N.S. Barta). Selective Reactions and Total Synthesis of Inositol Phosphates (Y. Watanabe). Synthesis of Phytosphingolipids (T. Kamikawa). New Developments in Brassinosteroid Research (G. Adam et al. ). Structure Elucidation and Synthesis of the Lignans from the Seeds of Hernandia ovigera L. (M. Arimoto et al. ). Studies on the Absolute Configuration of Some Liverwort Sesquiterpenoids (M. Tori). Bioactive Gymnemic Acids and Congeners from Gymnema sylvestre (S.B. Mahato). Theory of the Origin, Function, and Evolution Secondary Metabolites (C. Christophersen). The Celastraceae from Latin America Chemistry and Biological Activity (O. Munoz et al. ). Structural Chemistry of Glycolipids from Fungi and Protozoa (E.B. Bergter, M.H.S.V. Boas). Potential Bioactive Conformations of Hormones of the Gastrin Family (L. Moroder, J. Lutz). When Two Steroids are Better than One: The Dimeric Steroid-Pyrazine Marine Alkaloids (A. Ganesan). Human IgG1 Hinge-Fragment as a Core Structure for Immunogens (L. Moroder et al. ). 13 C-NMR Spectroscopy of Coumarins and their Derivatives: A Comprehensive Review (B. Mikhova, H. Duddeck).