The Calabar Bean and its Alkaloids: From Magic, via Miracle, to Memory

by Brian Robinson

Overview

Investigations into Calabar beans (the dried ripe seeds of Physostigma venenosum) and their alkaloidal components compose a classical scientific journey throughout some one-and-a-half centuries and not only represent a fascinating aspect of the history of medicine but which is, moreover, still ongoing at the forefront of chemical and medical discovery. Those in particular involving its major such component, l-physostigmine, have led to an understanding of some of the fundamental mechanisms occurring in physiology, pharmacology and biochemistry and, either actually or potentially (by providing a template and thereby acting as a “lead compound”) have provided a useful treatment for a variety of neurological disorders associated with irregularities in cholinergic transmission in which augmentation of cholinergic activity has proved to be beneficial.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789402411911
Publisher:	Springer-Verlag New York, LLC
Publication date:	03/24/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	13 MB
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Table of Contents

Chronology.-  Abbreviations.- Preface and acknowledgements.- 1. Introduction.- 2. l-Physostigmine (eserine).- 3. l-Physovenine.- 4. l-Eseramine.- 5. l-N₍₈₎-Norphysostigmine.- 6. l-Geneserine.- 7. ¹H-, ¹³C- and ¹⁵N-Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the alkaloids of the Calabar bean.- 8. Other alkaloids of, as yet, unknown structures that have been isolated, or allegedly so, from the Calabar bean.- 9. Non-alkaloidal components of the Calabar bean.- 10. Biological activities of the alkaloids of the Calabar bean.- 11. Notes.- 12. References.- 13. Index.