In contrast to existing books which either focus exclusively on the pharmacological properties of plant natural products or cover the secondary metabolism of plants as one section in general plant science book, this is the first to cover all aspects in one volume.

It has all the features of a modern textbook, including color figures, questions and answers and a complimentary website. In addition, the introductory chapters provide sufficient background knowledge in the chemistry and biochemistry of plant natural products and their biotechnological applications to allow its use as a true stand-alone text for student courses.

Herwig Gutzeit is Director of the Institute of Zoology at the Technische Universitat Dresden, Germany. After graduating from Oxford University (Rhodes Scholar) he obtained his PhD from Basel University (Switzerland). He habilitated at Freiburg University, Germany, and became a member of the Founding Committee of the Department of Biology at the TU Dresden where he works as Professor for Zoology and Developmental Biology since. Prof. Gutzeit published numerous scientific papers in the field of Developmental Biology and he studied the interactions of natural substances with molecular targets in animal and human cells. Jutta Ludwig-Muller is Professor for Plant Physiology and Director of the Institute of Botany at the Technische Universitat Dresden. She received her Diploma and Doctoral degree from Goethe-Universitat, Frankfurt, Germany, where she also got her Habilitation in botany. She spent some time in the USA as research associate at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, and as guest scientist at the United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville. Prof. Ludwig-Muller has published over 100 scientific papers. She is also Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Plant Growth Regulation. Among other topics she studies the various roles of secondary metabolites in plants.

Biosynthesis and Chemical Properties of Natural Substances in Plants Function of Natural Substances in Plants Biological Effects on Microorganisms and Animals Metabolism and Toxicity of Natural Substances in Mammals Examples of Physiological Effects of Natural Substances Present in Food and in Medicinal Plants Nature's Drugstore for a Healthy Life