Book Reviews

An Illustrated Chinese Materia Medica. By Jing-NuanWu (Ming-I Herbals, Alchem, Dr. Wu’s Herbs). Oxford Uni-versity Press, New York. 2005. viii + 706 pp. 7 × 10 in.$175.00. ISBN 0-19-51407-6.

It is a distinct honor to review this text by the late Dr.Wu Jing-Nuan, who embodied many of the personal andprofessional attributes of one steeped in Chinese classicsand Taoism. He was highly respected in the traditionalChinese medical community. Dr. Wu previously publishedEnglish translations of two of the most important classicsin Chinese literature: the Yi Jing (Book of Changes) andthe Ling Shu, which is the second part of the Huang DiNei Jing (Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine),the fundamental basis of traditional Chinese medicalphilosophy. This current work, completed by his daughter,continues what can only be regarded as Dr. Wu’s legacy ofbringing a deeper understanding of traditional Chinesemedicine (TCM) and Chinese culture to the western world.

The introduction provides a succinct but valuable over-view of TCM philosophy that can help those uninitiated inTCM to form a basic understanding of the traditionalcontext of the system. It begins with a synopsis of thehistorical development of Chinese medicine that adds arichness to the Chinese herbal medicine literature oftennot provided, dynastically chronicling some of the mostimportant philosophical schools of thought that wereintegral to the development and evolution of traditionalChinese medicine as it is practiced today. This is followedby a presentation of the various elements that form thebasis of TCM pharmacology: temperature, five flavors anddirections of action ascribed to herbs to describe theirphysiologic function, how botanicals are integrated into thechannel (meridian) theory of acupuncture, some basicdiagnostic principles of TCM, and an overview of themanner in which botanicals are formulated and prescribed.This text, while by no means a complete presentation onTCM philosophy, provides a systematic context for themateria medica that follows.

The materia medica presents approximately 318 botani-cal entries, arranged alphabetically according to botanicalnomenclature in a single-page monographal format withthe typical fields of information of TCM herbals, includingnomenclature, part used, Chinese energetic classification,functions, uses, inclusion in primary formulas, dosage, andcontraindications. It is perhaps the most beautiful presen-tation of Chinese materia medica to date in the Englishlanguage. Each entry is accompanied by exquisitely beauti-ful color illustrations of the plant and medicinally usedplant part. While such illustrations are readily availablein Chinese-language texts, they are generally not includedin those in English, and this makes for a uniquely beautifulpresentation of Chinese herbalism.

A unique contribution to the otherwise standard thera-peutic information is the inclusion of a useful, albeit brief,overview of harvesting instructions, which is usually absentfrom other works. If there were a criticism to levy regardingthe materia medica it would be the inclusion of severalspecies of the Aristolochiaceae, whose members containaristolochic acid, a highly toxic compound associated withnephrotoxicity and the potential for stomach, bladder, andkidney cancer. While they are a legitimate part of the

Chinese materia medica, the presence of aristolochic acidin several species of Aristolochia, as well as in Asarum(xi xin), should carry an appropriate caution, as thepotential for toxicity has been known for many years. Onlythe entry for Aristolochia manschuriensis (guan mu tong),cited as the species of choice for Akebia (chuan mu tong),includes an incomplete caution, and, as of 2004 in China,A. manschuriensis is no longer considered an acceptablesource of mu tong.

This text ends with a useful glossary of TCM terminologythat can assist the reader in understanding the contents;it is indexed according to both pharmaceutical nomencla-ture (with pin yin) and also English common names. Thetext could have benefited from a primary pin yin index, asmany TCM practitioners, a primary audience for thistext, are not familiar with botanical and pharmaceuticalnomenclature. It could have also benefited from harmoniz-ing the English common names with Herbs of Commerce,a legal standard for nomenclature in the United States.These are small criticisms that do not detract substantiallyfrom the presentation of the work in its entirety.

The sheer beauty of the text makes it a must-have forall those interested in TCM and represents a hallmark inthe TCM contributions offered by a very special individualwho embodied many of the principles that make the subjectof Chinese medicine so rich.

Roy UptonAmerican Herbal Pharmacopoeia

Scotts Valley, California

NP0582527

10.1021/np0582527

Mass Spectrometry in Biophysics: Conformation andDynamics of Biomolecules. By Igor A. Kaltashow andStephen J. Eyles (University of Massachusetts). John Wiley& Sons, Hoboken, NJ. 2005. xvi + 458 pp. 16 × 24 cm. ISBN0-471-45602-0.

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a versatile detector, as it candetect anything that can acquire charge. However, untilnot so long ago, its utility was limited to small molecules.Today, with recent advances such as electrospray ioniza-tion, it is possible to detect and analyze large moleculessuch as proteins. A lot has been written about thistechnique’s applications in several fields, including bio-chemistry (e.g., peptides and protein sequencing). However,its applicability in molecular biophysics has not previouslybeen addressed in a textbook. Thus, this book is a timelypiece that provides an understanding of mass spectrometryas a valuable tool for studying biophysical problems,particularly biomolecular dynamics and higher order struc-ture. The book is targeted for mass spectrometrists not veryfamiliar with biophysics and biophysicists who wish toapply mass spectrometry to their scientific problems.

Accordingly, the book has been nicely organized, withthe first three chapters devoted to an overview of basicconcepts and conventional techniques in molecular bio-physics, followed by an overview of biological mass spec-trometry. This lays a background for both audiences to

1712 J. Nat. Prod. 2005, 68, 1712-1715

comprehend advanced techniques described in later chap-ters. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 illustrate the applications ofvarious MS methodologies for studying protein higher orderstructure, transient structural states of proteins and kinet-ics of protein folding, protein assembly, and enzymecatalysis. The utility of extent of protein charge, proteinion charge state distributions, and hydrogen-deuteriumexchange for studying these biomolecular aspects areclearly described. MS-based techniques used for studyingprotein-ligand and protein-protein interactions are dis-cussed in Chapter 7.

In Chapter 8, the authors explain the advantages ofusing MS as a technique complementary to other biophysi-cal methodologies for obtaining data that is either confir-matory or completely unique. Applications of MS forstudying conformation and dynamics of large moleculesother than proteins, including oligonucleotides, polysac-charides, and other natural and synthetic polymers, arecovered in Chapter 9. Chapter 10 focuses on solution andgas phase structural and dynamical differences of largebiomolecules. Chapter 11 covers exciting and highly ad-vanced applications of MS, such as studying intact cellularcomponents (exemplified by ribosome) as well as wholeorganisms such as viruses.

The authors conclude the book with a discussion ofcurrent limitations and the future of MS as a powerful toolin molecular biophysics. In conclusion, the authors havesucceeded in producing a valuable resource for the targetedaudience.

Sunil Bajad

Princeton UniversityPrinceton, New Jersey

NP0582628

10.1021/np0582628

Antifungal Agents. Methods and Protocols. Edited by E.J. Ernst and P. D. Rogers (University of Iowa and Universityof Tennessee, respectively). Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. 2005.x + 209 pp. 6 × 9 in. $99.50. ISBN 1-588-29-277-0.

This book is a good compilation of testing methods andprotocols. It has been laid out in four parts: a briefIntroduction, Antifungal Resistance, Antifungal Develop-ment and Evaluation, and Host Responses and Immuno-therapy. Each chapter is systematically formatted toinclude Materials, Data Analysis, and Notes and Refer-ences.

Surprisingly, a majority of the articles are dedicated toCandida. Thus, one significant omission is any discussionof higher fungi. The title is, therefore, somewhat deceiving,and readers will be surprised to find no mention of higherfungi, particularly if one expects to see articles on emerginghuman fungal pathogens, an area in need of novel methodsand protocols. For example, there is an immediate need todevelop new methods for detecting pathogenic molds, asthey are emerging as new human secondary pathogensamong immune-compromised people. Environmental ex-posure to Stachybotrys chartarum has been associated withmultiple adverse health effects in humans. Several moldspeciessPenicillium spp., Aspergillus spp., Stachybotrysspp., Paecilomyces, and Fusarium spp.sare known tocolonize indoor spaces and cause human diseases. They alsoproduce harmful mycotoxins, or poisons; this phenomenonhas resulted in some referring to these organisms as toxicmold, the next asbestos.

Part I is a brief introduction by one of the editors; thearticle is very brief and does not offer anything new exceptemphasizing the importance of animal models.

Part II is comprised of six articles focused on antifungalresistance, the use of DNA fingerprinting, CARE (Candidaalbicans specific repetitive DNA element 2) fingerprint,DNA-microarray analysis, proteomic analysis, and biofilms.Interestingly, all these chapters deal with C. albicans. Mostof the methods are brief, yet very descriptive and easy tofollow. The SOPs are well written, but most of the articlesfail to illustrate the protocols with appropriate examples.

Part III, with five articles, is dedicated to antifungaldevelopment and evaluation. The first reviews the role ofnatural products in antifungal drug discovery and develop-ment; this article does a good job of reviewing most of theavailable methods with appropriate examples. Surpris-ingly, the whole book has only one article based on naturalproducts. Two articles are on animal models, both wellwritten with appropriate analysis. The last two chaptersdeal with interesting aspects of antifungal combinationtherapy for immuno-compromised hosts and post-antifun-gal effect, respectively.

Part IV, with three articles, deals with host response andimmunotherapy, focusing on three human pathogens,Candida, Histoplasma, and Cryptococcus.

In summary, this book pitches a strong case that itspractical, concise, and detailed compilation of methods willbe a worthwhile contribution as a laboratory manual. Itwill be a good resource for entry-level technicians andresearchers who work exclusively on Candida, but may notfind much use in other fungal research. In the antifungalarea, we cannot ignore the higher fungi that are emergingas a major threat. The price seems to be reasonable forthe comprehensive compilation.

Ven SubbiahPhytoMyco Research Corp.Greenville, North Carolina

NP058260N

10.1021/np058260n

Natural Products: Drug Discovery and TherapeuticMedicine. Edited by L. Zhang (SynerZ Pharmaceuticals Inc.)and A. L. Demain (Health and Drew University). HumanaPress, Totowa, NJ. 2005. xiv + 382 pp. 71/4 × 10 in. $135.00.ISBN 1-588-29-383-1.

Despite contributions to improved quality of life andextended life span, natural products have fallen out of favorin the pharmaceutical industry in recent years, with adownturn in the number of large pharmaceutical compa-nies doing research in this area of drug discovery. Drugdiscovery strategies have been rapidly evolving, employingtechnologies such as proteomics, genomics, high-through-put screening, and bioinformatics. Economic challenges, thehigh cost of acquiring these new technologies, the percep-tion that natural products have been exhausted as a sourceof new, developable drugs, and the perceived tedious andold-fashioned nature of natural product research are amongthe reasons for this trend. One of the theses of this book isthat the de-emphasis of natural product research is in partrelated to a decrease in the output of new drugs from theindustry and that renewed interest and success willultimately come from integrating newer technologies withconventional approaches to natural products drug discov-ery.

Journal of Natural Products, 2005, Vol. 68, No. 11 1713

Molecular-based diversity generation, culturing of “un-culturable” organisms, and high-throughput profiling andtesting are among those newer “integrated approaches”being applied to modern natural product discovery. Theeditors have assembled contributions from a knowledgeablegroup of researchers on some past successes in naturalproducts, current and emerging methodologies, specificgroups of natural products, various environmental sources,and work currently ongoing in the researchers’ laboratories.This book, aimed at researchers, industry administrators,and opinion leaders, attempts to inspire a resurgence ofinterest in natural products drug discovery research.

This compilation of selective reviews is divided into fiveparts. The first, “Fundamental Issues Related to NaturalProduct-Based Drug Discovery”, provides a historical per-spective on the health and economic contributions ofnatural products. The authors noted that antibiotics havecontributed to the “increase in average life expectancy inthe United States from 47 yr in 1900 to 74 yr for malesand 80 yr for women in 2000”. Most notable among theantibiotics highlighted are the cephalosporins, penicillins,tetracyclines, macrolides, aminoglycosides, ansamycins,and glycopeptides, which together capture a significantportion of the estimated $35 billion current worldwideantibiotic market. This part also examines some of thereasons (e.g., a shift to combinatorial chemistry approach)for the downgrading of natural product research, remainingchallenges, and future prospects in pharmaceutical re-search involving natural products.

The next part, “Strategies”, covers approaches for in-creasing efficiency in natural products drug discovery.Included are a method for automating the comparison ofHPLC profiles of microbial extracts in order to build andassess a chemically diverse library, techniques for increas-ing chemical diversity by engineering changes in genes thatregulate the biosynthesis of natural products, and the useof genomic and bioinformatic tools to identify genes andpredict the structure of their encoded metabolites. The useof genome or pathway shuffling to enhance genetic diver-sity in progeny natural-product-producing organisms withsimultaneous selection for increased compound productionwas also covered in this section. A chapter on integratedapproaches reviewing topics such as sample collection,ecosystem choices, organism isolation strategies, cultureselection, and compound expression, among others, tiesother chapters in this section together well.

Part III, “Specific Groups of Drugs”, provides overviewsof certain compound classes including an up-to-date reviewof anticancer compounds from natural sources that wasnotable for its thoroughness. Other notable chapters in-clude a review of the constituents of Taxus brevifolia andCatharanthus roseus, the respective producers of paclitaxeland the vinca alkaloids, reviews of terpenoids, traditionalChinese medicine, and arsenic trioxide.

The fourth part, “Microbial Diversity”, covers variousapproaches for generating microbial diversity that canultimately result in chemical diversity. The chapter entitled“New Methods to Access Microbial Diversity for SmallMolecule Discovery” discusses approaches for isolating andcultivating diverse organisms or for accessing the geneticmaterial from organisms that are “unculturable”. Theauthors discuss new cultivation methods, including mi-croencapsulation of individual organisms. Also discussedis the cloning of genes encoding for natural products fromthe isolated organisms or from metagenomic DNA, whichare then expressed in a heterologous host. Another chapterfurther explores cloning and expressing metagenomic DNA

in order to access the estimated 99% of soil microbes thatare difficult to culture. The approach here stresses pre-screening of clone libraries in order to identify clonescapable of producing natural products in heterologoushosts.

In the last part, “Specific Sources”, natural products frommarine actinomycetes and endophytes are discussed, inaddition to the topic of bioprospecting in developing na-tions.

This book is primarily a review of some successfulnatural products, important specific compound classes, oldand new sources, and traditional and emerging approachesto natural products drug discovery, with special emphasison the integration of these approaches. This book willprovide students, academicians, industrial researchers, anddecision makers with a reasonable perspective on thesetopics. Evidence for the central thesis that an integratedapproach of traditional and modern methods, combinedwith investigating both established and new organismsources, can revitalize interest from the pharmaceuticalindustry in reinvesting in natural product drug discoveryis currently evolving.

Leonard A. McDonaldWyeth Research

Pearl River, New York

NP058264S

10.1021/np058264s

Reagents for High Throughput Solid-Phase and Solu-tion-Phase Organic Synthesis. Edited by Peter Wipf(University of Pittsburgh). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Chich-ester. 2005. xii + 380 pp. 81/2 × 11 in. $140.00. ISBN 0-470-86298-X.

This single volume is a selection of ca. 140 entries fromthe original 8 volume Encyclopedia of Reagents for OrganicSynthesis (EROS), published in 1995, along with somemore recent additions and updates from an electronicversion of the series (e-EROS). The main body of the workis preceded by an extensive six page listing of recent reviewarticles and monographs relating to the general theme ofparallel synthesis/combinatorial chemistry. An alphabeticallisting of reagents follows, with entries ranging from theoriginal resins, linkers, and coupling agents developed forsolid-phase peptide synthesis, to solid-supported and fluo-rous-phase reagents intended for the synthesis of smallermolecules. Indeed, it is interesting to see silica- and Celite-supported reagents “rediscovered” for use in parallel solu-tion-phase synthesis, where streamlined purification is amajor goal.

As for a book in the encyclopedia style, the net result ofca. 160 contributors is a heterogeneous mixture of treat-ments for each reagent; a helpful section on “RelatedReagents” is frequently missing from many entries. Inevi-tably, any work of this size will have some errors in theschemes, but with direct reference to the primary literaturefor each transformation shown, these mistakes are not tooserious. Although many practitioners may find some oftheir favorite reagents/resins/linkers excluded from theeditor’s selection, some of the newer reagents included haveyet to demonstrate their usefulness to the wider syntheticcommunity. There are a few glaring omissions: the amidecoupling agents HOBt and HOAt are mentioned onlywithin the entries of other amide coupling reagents.Thankfully, the entries for many of the most widely used

1714 Journal of Natural Products, 2005, Vol. 68, No. 11

reagents are quite comprehensive, generally with gooddiscussions of the advantages and disadvantages of eachreagent, along with comparisons to other reagents for thesame transformation. There is a lack of editorial uniformityin the selection of entries, with minor variations sometimesdescribed as discrete entities; for example, two entries aredevoted to the BAL/PAL trialkoxy-benzylamine linkersystem, yet all four versions of the trityl linker system aredescribed together in a single entry. The lack of a listingof reagents for functional group transformations is adeficiency, but this is remedied with extensive entries inthe index for amidation, oxidation, and reduction, etc.Coverage in the subject index though can be spotty; forexample, although seven carbodiimide reagents are de-scribed in the handbook, the index lists only three.

Overall, the book should serve as an excellent startingpoint to someone wishing to use the tools of parallelsynthesis in medicinal chemistry or natural productssynthesis, or as a solid ready-reference source for the moreexperienced practitioner. At $140, the hardcover editionshould be readily affordable for a corporate or academiclibrary, but is a bit expensive for casual addition to apersonal collection.

Donogh J. R. O’MahonyDiscovery Partners International, Inc.

South San Francisco, California

NP058265K

10.1021/np058265k

Amines: Synthesis, Properties and Applications. ByS. A. Lawrence (Mimas, Ltd.). Cambridge University Press,Cambridge. 2004. x + 371 pp. 7 × 9 in. $180.00. ISBN 0-521-78284-8.

The intent of this book, as stated in the Preface, is toprovide a broad and more particularly recent overview ofthe chemistry of amines: their synthesis, reactivity, phys-icochemical properties, and industrial uses.

The first chapter is mainly devoted to nitrogen and thesimplest amine, ammonia. Chapters 2-5 are devoted to

aliphatic, fatty and cyclic, aryl, heterocyclic, and inorganicamines, respectively. Each of these chapters follows the (1)synthesis and (2) properties subdivision method. In Chap-ter 6, laboratory scale syntheses of several amine deriva-tives are described. Protection of the amine function is thespecific topic of Chapter 7, and industrial uses of aminesare reported in Chapter 8. In addition, theoretical data arecompiled in Appendices 1 and 2 (melting points, boilingpoints, and pKa), and Appendix 3 lists 200 named reactionsinvolving amines.

As can be anticipated, this book presents a large numberof reactions involving nitrogen-containing compounds and,in some cases, the author adds personal and practicalcomments, probably useful to avoid difficulties in thelaboratory, particularly if the reactions have to be carriedout by unskilled chemists. Industrial applications are alsofrequently reported, emphasizing the importance of aminechemistry in our everyday life.

However, whereas this book is promoted as an up-to-date resource book, most of the reactions depicted canalready be found in common chemistry textbooks. Conse-quently, the large majority of the references are old,whereas only a few references are given for recent insightsbrought to amine chemistry. Furthermore, some recentreferences seem to emphasize the author’s work ratherthan report new, useful information.

The general value of the book could have been improvedby addition of a few more reaction schemes; however, agreater flaw is that the structures of many compounds areerroneous. Overall, this book contains valuable informationbut can hardly be considered as a genuine reference book.It can be useful for undergraduate students consideringan industrial chemistry carrier and for those interested inthe applications of amine chemistry, rather than its precisedetails.

Dominique Guillaume

University of Reims Champagne-ArdenneReims, France

NP0582630

10.1021/np0582630

Book Reviews Journal of Natural Products, 2005, Vol. 68, No. 11 1715