Natural Products Sources - Natural Products Chemistry: Sources, Separations, and Structures - page 5

FIGURE 1.6 Foxglove (Latin name: Digitalis purpurea ) contains several deadly cardiac
and steroidal glycosides. (Courtesy of Steven Foster.)
EXAMPLE 1.5: SULFUR IN NATURE
Garlic, known as Allium sativum , is a species in the onion genus Allium . Garlic has
a history of use for over 7000 years and is used for both culinary and medicinal
purposes. There are a number of organosulfur compounds present in garlic and
shown in Figure 1.7.
1.2 ETHNOBOTANY AND TRADITIONAL
SOURCES OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
Historically, mankind has been intrigued by the power and potential of plants in
nature. Ancient texts attest to the knowledge passed down through generations on
the beneficial effects of plants. Wisdom was gained on how to extract ingredients as
foods, medicine, and mood enhancers long before we knew how the chemicals them-
selves worked. At the time of the Renaissance and through the Reformation period,
the tools were found to explore the chemistry of the natural ingredients. Today, we
embrace the science of ethnobotany, which is the scientific study of the relation-
ships that exist between people and plants. The discipline requires a variety of skills:
botany (the identification and preservation of plant specimens); anthropology, to