Scribd
Upload
48 views1 page

Book Reviews: Chemistry Pharmacology Natural Products: Saponins. K

This book provides a comprehensive review of saponins, which are glycosides found in plants and marine organisms. It covers the occurrence, isolation, structure determination, pharmacological properties, and commercial uses of the three main classes of saponins. The book contains over 1300 saponin structures and 1800 references, making it an excellent resource for those studying the biological activities and properties of natural products. It is particularly useful for researchers working in the fields of saponins, steroids, and triterpenoids.

Uploaded by

Jairo Miranda
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
48 views1 page

Book Reviews: Chemistry Pharmacology Natural Products: Saponins. K

This book provides a comprehensive review of saponins, which are glycosides found in plants and marine organisms. It covers the occurrence, isolation, structure determination, pharmacological properties, and commercial uses of the three main classes of saponins. The book contains over 1300 saponin structures and 1800 references, making it an excellent resource for those studying the biological activities and properties of natural products. It is particularly useful for researchers working in the fields of saponins, steroids, and triterpenoids.

Uploaded by

Jairo Miranda
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

96

J . Nut. Prod. 1996,59, 96

Book Reviews
Chemistry & Pharmacology of Natural Products:
Saponins. K. Hostettmann and A. Marston. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY. 1995. xii +
548 pp. 15 x 22.5 cm. ISBN 0-521-32970-1. $120.00.
This monograph provides a comprehensive, up-todate, and timely review of saponins. These glycosides
of triterpenes, steroids, or steroid alkaloids are commonly found in higher plants and in the marine phylum
Echinodermata. The seven chapters of this volume are
preceded by a helpful glossary to guide the reader
through the abbreviations employed (primarily in the
description of oligosaccharides) and acronyms used to
denote various two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance experiments and mass spectrometric techniques.
Following an introductory Chapter 1which contains
brief sections devoted t o definitions, biosynthesis, aglycone classes, nomenclature, and stereochemistry, is
an extensive Chapter 2 reviewing the occurrence and
distribution of the three main classes of saponins.
Isolation and analysis is the subject of the third chapter,
and Chapter 4, devoted to structure determination,
explores traditional cleavage reactions prior to an
extensive and well-illustrated account of nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometric, and other methods.
The discussion covers applications of some seven different mass spectrometric techniques and over a dozen
high-field two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance
experiments.
Two chapters are devoted to pharmacological and

biological properties of triterpene and steroid saponins


and include sections on antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antitumor, piscicidal, molluscicidal, insecticidal, anthelmintic, expectorant, diuretic, cardiovascular, antiinflammatory, anti ulcer, spermicidal analgesic, antipyetic,
sedative, antifertility antihepatotoxic, and other activities. Of special note is Chapter 7, summarizing commercially important saponin-containing preparations
and products, which explores historical and current uses
of saponin-producing plants and includes information
on applications as corticoid precursors, emollients,
flavoring agents, expectorants, foaming agents, adaptogens, and others. The appendices contain tabular
compilations of plants containing characterized triterpene saponins and of triterpene and spirostanol saponin
structures.
This authoritative book contains the structures of over
1300 saponins and provides over 1800 references and
is thus an excellent source of information for those
interested in the biological and pharmacological properties of natural products and an indispensable reference
and guide to researchers active in the saponin, steroid,
and triterpenoid fields.
John A. Findlay
Department of Chemistry
University of New Brunswick
Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 6E2, Canada
NP960011Z

You might also like