The chemistry and biological activity of natural indole systems

The chemistry of indole alkaloids has been under research since the 50s. At that time, the number of such alkaloids did not exceed a mere hundred. To date indole alkaloids have emerged as probably the largest class of alkaloids (over 1200 compounds) extracted from more than 40 families of plants, micro-, and marine organisms. This is Part 1 of the vast material on the chemistry of various indole alkaloids selected by the Editorial Board for publication in the series. Volume 4 contains reviews of the state-of-the-art chemistry of indole alkaloids contributed by worldwide recognized experts in the chemistry and biological activity of indole systems, which makes the book useful and instructive for a wide circle of readers. Part 2, devoted to natural indole systems, is planned to appear in Volume 5 of the series. It will cover the available data on more than 900 alkaloids bearing the indole moiety, their biosynthesis, stereochemistry, biological activity, mechanism of action, and will also discuss some aspects of total synthesis of indole alkaloids. 350 pages.