Chemistry and Pharmacology

This volume deals for the most part, with current status of four groups of alkaloids of substantial biological releavance. Chapter 1 by Lounasmaa and Tolvanen, focuses on the "Eburanmine-Vincamine Alkaloids," and discusses the new alkaloids, and the extensive synthetic and pharmacologic work that has been conducted since the last review in 1981. Clark and Hufford present a review which focuses on the "Antifungal Alkaloids," especially those compounds that might be important as lead structures for the development of agents usefulin treating the opportunistic infections associated with AIDS. Wang and Liang bring up-to-date the area of the diterpenoid alkaloids from a chemical perspective. Over the years this large group of alkaloids has produced a fascinating array of molecular gyrations. Finally, Wrobel and Wojtasiewicz revisit the topic of "Sulfur-Containing Alkaloids" (which was last covered in Volume 26) from a chemical and biological perspective.