Natural Products Sources - Natural Products Chemistry: Sources, Separations, and Structures - page 3

O

FIGURE 1.3 Camphor is a terpenoid found in the wood of the camphor laurel, a large ever-
green tree found in parts of Sumatra and Borneo.

EXAMPLE 1.2: THE TERPENE CAMPHOR

Camphor (Figure 1.3) is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C 10 H 16 O. It is found
in the wood of the camphor laurel ( Cinnamomum camphora ), a large evergreen
tree found in parts of Sumatra and Borneo. It is a volatile oil and is often used for
its scent.

EXAMPLE 1.3: ALKALOIDS AND THE PRESENCE OF NITROGEN

Alkaloids form a very important class of natural products, widely dispersed in
nature with a variety of simple and complex structures. Nitrogen is present in alka-
loids as part of cyclic ring structures. One very well-known alkaloid is nicotine,
found in tobacco (Figure 1.4). The compound contains two nitrogens, one in the
pyridine ring and the second as a reduced (tetrahydro)-pyrrole ring.

EXAMPLE 1.4: A STEROID FROM THE GARDEN

In Western medicine, an early example is the steroid molecule known as digitalis
(Figure 1.5) from the garden variety of foxglove (Latin name: Digitalis purpurea )
(Figure 1.6). Foxglove, including the roots and seeds, contains several deadly phys-
iological and chemically related cardiac and steroidal glycosides. Digitalis was
used for the first time in 1785, and thus began the era of modern therapeutics.
Digitalis is very toxic and must be very carefully administered. Digitalis is an
example of a drug derived from a plant used by folklorists and herbalists but it is
difficult to determine the amount of active drug in herbal preparations. It can still
be prescribed for patients in atrial fibrillation, especially if they have congestive
heart failure. However, an overdose of digitalis can cause anorexia, nausea, vomit-
ing, and diarrhea.

N

N

FIGURE 1.4 Nicotine is an alkaloid found in tobacco.