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Plant Histochemistry and Cytochemistry
BOOK REVIEWS
Plant Histochemistry and Cytochemistry: by P. B. Gahan. Academic Press, London, 1984. pp. xi + 301. $41.50. This volume does not pretend to be more than an introduction to the various techniques which are encompassed by its title. But as such it is reasonably complete. I guess that most of the methods, which are well described in honoured recipe fashion, are at the cellular (cyto) rather than tissue (histo) level. There is a dearth of methods for certain interesting plant secondary
Progress in the Chemistry of Natural Products, Volumes 43 and 44: edited by W. Herz, H. Grisebach and G. W. Kirby. Springer, Vienna, 1983, 1984: pp. 382 and 326. $72.00. There is no need to describe the excellence of this series. They are an accepted part of the life of phytochemists. They always contain well written up-to-date essays, are beautifully produced (perhaps too much soT) and give a respectable cross section of present endeavour in the field of natural products. But they are entirely chemical. The chirality of an atom is of more importance to the interpretation of NMR data than it is to its influence on the biological activity of the compound in question. Let it be clearly understood that natural products are only of real importance in their ecological effects. In some cases we may use the observed variations in their structure or their biosynthesis for taxonomic or evolutionary
Mammalian Semiochemistry: by E. S. Albone. Wiley, Chichester, 1984. pp. viii+360. Eric Albone has done a very good service to biochemical ecology even if he did neglect to mention this journal in his preface. He has produced
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products (carotenoids, alkaloids and so on) although others (lignins, hemicelluloses) are dealt with. By and large, however, there are a sufficient number of components to satisfy the inclusion of this volume as an introduction to cytochemical investigation of most organisms. The technical problems of quantification are dealt with adequately, although there is little emphasis on the inherent variations of cellular components due to edaphic, climatic, biotic or other factors which undoubtedly influence the results and, more importantly, their interpretation.
purposes. But the editors of this series should encourage their authors to ask the questions why, when and how as well as what. That is what the present and future of natural products is all about. Volume 43 contains two reviews: 'Naturally Occurring Isoflavonoids' by J. L. Ingham and 'The Sarpagine--Ajmaline Group of Indole Alkaloids' by A. Kosinken and M. Lounasama. Volume 44 has four reviews: 'Pro-inflammatory, Tumor Promoting and Anti-Tumor Diterpenes of the Euphorbiaceae and Thymaleaceae' by F. J. Evans and S. E. Taylor; 'Bitter Principles of the Cneoraceae' by A. Mondon and E. Epe; 'Chemical and Biological Aspects of Marine Monoterpenes' by S. Naylor, F. J. Hanke, L. V. Manes and P. Crews: and "The C-Nucleoside Antibiotics' by J. G. Buchanan. Altogether a marvellous production of active natural products.
a really worthwhile book, not just because of the many interesting examples he gives of the importance of chemical signalling between mammals, but by his cogent descriptions and comments of the overall processes involved. First of all he points out that the 'odor image' is always complex and the component which
Plant Histochemistry and Cytochemistry: by P. B. Gahan. Academic Press, London, 1984. pp. xi + 301. $41.50. This volume does not pretend to be more than an introduction to the various techniques which are encompassed by its title. But as such it is reasonably complete. I guess that most of the methods, which are well described in honoured recipe fashion, are at the cellular (cyto) rather than tissue (histo) level. There is a dearth of methods for certain interesting plant secondary
Progress in the Chemistry of Natural Products, Volumes 43 and 44: edited by W. Herz, H. Grisebach and G. W. Kirby. Springer, Vienna, 1983, 1984: pp. 382 and 326. $72.00. There is no need to describe the excellence of this series. They are an accepted part of the life of phytochemists. They always contain well written up-to-date essays, are beautifully produced (perhaps too much soT) and give a respectable cross section of present endeavour in the field of natural products. But they are entirely chemical. The chirality of an atom is of more importance to the interpretation of NMR data than it is to its influence on the biological activity of the compound in question. Let it be clearly understood that natural products are only of real importance in their ecological effects. In some cases we may use the observed variations in their structure or their biosynthesis for taxonomic or evolutionary
Mammalian Semiochemistry: by E. S. Albone. Wiley, Chichester, 1984. pp. viii+360. Eric Albone has done a very good service to biochemical ecology even if he did neglect to mention this journal in his preface. He has produced
355
products (carotenoids, alkaloids and so on) although others (lignins, hemicelluloses) are dealt with. By and large, however, there are a sufficient number of components to satisfy the inclusion of this volume as an introduction to cytochemical investigation of most organisms. The technical problems of quantification are dealt with adequately, although there is little emphasis on the inherent variations of cellular components due to edaphic, climatic, biotic or other factors which undoubtedly influence the results and, more importantly, their interpretation.
purposes. But the editors of this series should encourage their authors to ask the questions why, when and how as well as what. That is what the present and future of natural products is all about. Volume 43 contains two reviews: 'Naturally Occurring Isoflavonoids' by J. L. Ingham and 'The Sarpagine--Ajmaline Group of Indole Alkaloids' by A. Kosinken and M. Lounasama. Volume 44 has four reviews: 'Pro-inflammatory, Tumor Promoting and Anti-Tumor Diterpenes of the Euphorbiaceae and Thymaleaceae' by F. J. Evans and S. E. Taylor; 'Bitter Principles of the Cneoraceae' by A. Mondon and E. Epe; 'Chemical and Biological Aspects of Marine Monoterpenes' by S. Naylor, F. J. Hanke, L. V. Manes and P. Crews: and "The C-Nucleoside Antibiotics' by J. G. Buchanan. Altogether a marvellous production of active natural products.
a really worthwhile book, not just because of the many interesting examples he gives of the importance of chemical signalling between mammals, but by his cogent descriptions and comments of the overall processes involved. First of all he points out that the 'odor image' is always complex and the component which