The Biosynthesis of Secondary Metabolites

Secondary metabolites are substances produced chiefly by micro-organisms and plants. They exhibit a wide range of biological activities and include antibiotics, such as the pencillins, and other medicinals, such as morphine. An understanding of the way these substances are made in vivo, that is to say their biosynthesis, is essential to anyone studying or working with compounds isolated from natural sources. This volume provides an account of the main experimental evidence on which current biosynthetic knowledge is based. Two introductory chapters provide the necessary background information, while the rest of the book is devoted to particular groups of secondary metabolites: polyketides, terpenes and steroids, shikimate metabolites, alkaloids and microbial metabolites containing nitrogen.