Biodiversity, a source of new leads for the pharmaceutical & agrochemical industries

The continuing quest for new drugs and agrochemicals has seen researchers looking to the natural world for potential products. Plants and microorganisms have long been investigated as sources of new lead compounds, but the scope of this book has been widened to include substances derived from marine organisms. This book reviews and discusses aspects of modern natural products research. The central theme of many articles is the sustainable use of global biodiversity. Microbial, plant and marine products are presented as the sources of new drugs, including antifungal products, antibiotics, anticancer agents and animal health products.

Natural products. History, diversity and discovery. Microbial natural products discovery. Marine natural products. Plant natural products. Biosynthesis. Natural products as leads for synthesis.