Tropane alkaloids (TAs) are heterocyclic nitrogenous metabolites found across seven orders of angiosperms, including Malpighiales (Erythroxylaceae) and Solanales (Solanaceae). Despite the ...

Researchers report the first successful microbial biosynthesis of the tropane alkaloids hyoscyamine and scopolamine, a class of neuromuscular blockers naturally found in plants in the nightshade ...

Tropane alkaloids are a particular class of plant derived compounds that have been exploited by mankind since the domestication of medicinal plants. The distribution of these alkaloids is scattered ...

They are also essential precursors for many medically important compounds, including the cancer drug vinblastine and the ipecacuanha alkaloids found in the medicinal plants ... Sarah O'Connor, head of ...

Researchers at UBC Okanagan have uncovered how plants produce mitraphylline, a rare natural compound that may help fight ...

Barley is one of the most important cereal crops on a global scale. Many barley cultivars produce a toxic alkaloid called gramine that affects the suitability of barley as fodder, but also helps to ...

Plants produce an enormous abundance of natural products. Many natural plant products are ancestry-specific and occur only in certain plant families, sometimes only in a single species. Interestingly, ...

Until now, a crucial step in the biosynthesis of iridoids, a class of plant defense substances that are also medically relevant, had remained undiscovered. A team from the Max Planck Institute for ...

Polymers are one of the most important elements of modern-day society, particularly in the form of plastics. Unfortunately most common polymers are derived from fossil resources, which not only makes ...

Contrary to what is generally assumed, the diversity of qualitative chemicals among species of eastern deciduous forest trees is high. Qualitative defenses (e.g., alkaloids) that supplement ...