Plant constituents, biologically active

Hostettmann, K., Marston, A. and Wolfender, J. -L. (1995). Strategy in the search for new biologically active plant constituents. In Phytochemistry of Plants Used in Traditional Medicine (Hostettmann, K., Marston, M., Maillard, M. and Hamburger, M., eds.), Oxford Science Publications, Oxford, pp. 17-45. 

Guillon S, Tremouillaux-Guiller J, Pati PK, Rideau M, Gantet P (2006) Harnessing the potential of hairy roots dawn of a new era. Trends Biotech 24 403-409 Heble MR (1985) Multiple shoot cultures a viable alternative in vitro system for the production of known and new biologically active plant constituents. In Neumann KH, Barz W, Reinhard E (eds) Primary and secondary metabolism of plant cell cultmes. Springer, Berlin, pp 281-285... 

The weathering process which eventually reduces the rock of the parent material to the inorganic constituents of soil comprises both physical and chemical changes. Size reduction from rocks to the colloidal state depends not only upon the mechanical action of natural forces but also on chemical solubilisation of certain minerals, action of plant roots, and the effects of organic substances formed by biological activity. 

Before the discovery of specific cannabinoid receptors, the term cannabinoid was used to describe the biologically active constituents of the Cannabis sativa plant, including A -THC (67), cannabidiol (68) and their analogues and derivatives, many of which have characteristic pharmacological effects. 

Many constituents with potential biological activity have been extracted from the flowers and leaves, the parts of the plant used for medicinal purposes. These include naphthodianthrones, flavonoids, phlorogluci-nols, and xanthones. Hypericin, one of the naphthodianthrones, has traditionally been considered the main active ingredient, but it is not known whether this is the compound with antidepressant activity. Recent data suggest that a component called hyperforin may be more important than hypericin for the antidepressant activity. 

Hamburger MO, Cordell GA, Ruangrungsi N. Traditional Medicinal Plants of Thailand XVn. Biologically Active Constituents of Plumeria rubra. Journal of Ethnophar-macology 1991 33(3) 289-292. 

As described above, chlorogenic acid and DCQAs are widely present in various plants. It is likely that many of the alleged effects of medicinal plants are linked to the functions of their constituents. In this context, several plants have been investigated for their biological activities and their active substances. This section briefly outlines the occurrence and role of chlorogenic acids in medicinal plants. 

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