Natural products defensive role

While secondary metabolites of plants and animals have been the subject of many chemical investigations, their associations and roles in their host organism are at times controversial this is particularly so, when insufficient observations exist. Nevertheless, natural products provide fruitful areas of research [69]. There is little doubt that chemical defense against predators is an important aspect of survival. In the marine environment, early observations of nudi-branch- sponge relationships were reported and those relating to isocyano compounds are summarized in Table 6. 

Hay ME (1992) The role of seaweed chemical defenses in the evolution of feeding specialization and in the mediation of complex interactions. In Paul VJ (ed) Ecological roles for marine natural products. Comstock Press, Ithaca, NY, pp 93-118 Hay ME (1996) Marine chemical ecology what s known and what s next J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 200 103-134... 

Pereira RC, Donato R, Teixeira VL, Cavalcanti DN (2000b) Chemotaxis and chemical defenses in seaweed susceptibility to herbivory. Rev Bras Biol 60 405 414 Pereira RC, Da Gama BAP, Teixeira VL, Yoneshigue-Valentin Y (2003) Ecological roles of natural products of the Brazilian red seaweed Laurencia obtusa. Rev Bras Biol 63 665-672 Pereira RC, Pinheiro MD, Teixeira VL, Da Gama BAP (2002) Feeding preferences of the endemic gastropod Astraea latispina in relation to chemical defenses of Brazilian tropical seaweeds. Braz J Biol 62 33 10... 

Throughout history, mankind has always been interested in naturally occurring compounds from prebiotic, microbial, plants and animals sources. Various extracts of flowers, plants and insects have been used for isolating compounds whose task, color and odor could be used for various purposes. Many natural products, such as plant hormones, have a regulatory role, while others function as chemical defense against pests. The role of certain compounds is to act as chemical messengers, such as sex-attractants (pheromones) in insects, terrestrial and marine animals and humans. What is the origin of natural products ... 

Plant toxins have been known for many centuries. Rotenoids (rotenone), alkaloids (nicotine, coniine, strychnine), terpenoids (ovabin and hymenovin) are among the classes of natural products which provide numerous toxins (3-12). Toxins in plants often have the role of feeding repellents. They appear to be synthesized by plants as a defense against insects and other animals. 

Paul, V. J., Chemical defenses of benthic marine invertebrates, in Ecological Roles of Marine Natural Products, Paul, V. J., Ed., Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1992, 5. 

Davis, A. R., Alkaloids and ascidian chemical defense evidence for the ecological role of natural products from Eudistoma olivaceum, Mar. Biol., Ill, 375, 1991. 

Avila, C., Iken, K., Fontana, A., and Cimino, G., Chemical ecology of the Antarctic nudibranch Bathydoris hodgsoni Eliot, 1907 defensive role and origin of its natural products, J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol., 252, 27, 2000. 

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