Barley is one of the most important cereal crops on a global scale. Many barley cultivars produce a toxic alkaloid called gramine that affects the suitability of barley as fodder, but also helps to ...

Thousands of insect species have chemical protection against predators or parasites. These chemical compounds are often derived from plants (which made them for their own defense); for instance, ...

Ergot alkaloids are a diverse group of secondary metabolites produced predominantly by the parasitic fungus Claviceps purpurea. These compounds have long been a subject of scientific inquiry due to ...

Too many alkaloids, though, can make the plant toxic to humans. “Our group has been working hard to characterize the steps involved in alkaloid synthesis, so that we can try and control it,” said Adam ...

(–)-Huperzine A 1, originally called (–)-selagine A, is a natural compound that was first reported in the literature in 1937 in an article by Polish researcher Piotr Oficjalski about the toxicity of ...

Plants in the genus Tripterygium, historically utilized in traditional medicine and agriculture across East Asia, have been applied for pest control as well as for curing diseases such as rheumatoid ...