Alkaloids: Chemical & Biological Perspectives. Vol. 10. By S.W. Pelletier

This volume provides four excellent reviews refereed at least by one expert in the field. The first review is on alkaloids from Australian flora and provides a historical account of the development of alkaloid chemistry in Australia. A comprehensive list of plants that gave positive test for alkaloids is provided. Most of the plants in this list are from Australia but many are from Papua New Guinea and some from neighbouring Pacific islands. This big chapter has 448 references and concludes with methods of detection and estimation, extraction and work-up procedures. The second review deals with pyridine and piperidine alkaloids. This is an up date to the one appeared in 3rd volume of this series and includes isolation of new alkaloids, biosynthesis, and biological properties. The third review deals with 3-alkylpiperidine alkaloids isolated from marine sponges. Most of the alkaloids described here are of complex macrocyclic structures containing piperidine or tetrahydropyridine heterocycles and most of them are from the Order Haplosclerida. The last review is devoted to isolation, synthesis and pharmacological activity of β-carboline and isoquinoline alkaloids from marine organisms.