Gen. Pharmac. Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 573-574. 1990 Pergamon Pres plc. Printed in Great Britain

BOOK REVIEWS

Treads in Medicinal Chemistry '88--Edited by H. van der Goot, G. Domany., L. Pallos and H. Timmerman. 860 pp. 1989. Elsevier, Amsterdam. Dfl 490; $258.

A wide range of topics is presented in this volume; computer modeling and structural data-base of drugs; molecular mimics and drug design; QSAR descriptors; evaluation of activity patterns; metabolism prediction of drugs; transport parameters; designing safer opthalmic drugs; carbapenems; phosphoinositides; muscarinic agonists and antagonists; pilocarpine; histamine receptors; 5HT agonists and antago- nists; GABA and glutamic acid receptors; neuroleptic agents; MAO-I; dopamine receptors; CCK receptors; leukotriene D4 antagonists; hypertension; HIV; anthro- quinones; aromase inhibitor. The book gives an interesting picture of the present state of drug design and synthesis.

Metallolmateing; Chemical Properties and Biological Etfec~---Edited by S. Otsuka and T. Yamanaka. 568 pp. 1988. Kondasha, Tokyo. Elsevier, Amsterdam. D.FI 450; $236.75.

Magnesium, calcium, vanadium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, molybdenium, tungsten and selenium all form protein complexes, each of which is discussed in this book. The second part of the book deals with the biological effects of metal ions on flavins, electron transfer, nucleo- sides, nucleotides and nucleic acids, carcinogenicity, anti- tumor activity, metal chelation. This book covers all metal ions except the alkaline metal ions and provides a very extensive but readable account of the metalloproteins. It is also a good reference book.

medicinal plant and drugs; ginghaosu (Artemisinin) an antimalarial drug derived from wormwood, Artemes ia annua; azadirachtins as insecticides; plant derived moilusci- cides; plant compounds as source of insect control agents. Plant natural products still provide a very valuable resource for future drug research.

Nucleic Acid and Monuclonal Antibody Probes; Applications in Diagnostic Microbiology--Edited by B. Swaminathan and G. Prakash. 717 pp. 1989. Marcel Dekker, New York. $150 (U.S.A. and Canada); $180 (elsewhere).

Monoclonal antibodies have allowed the development of techniques that allow measurement of ng quantities of specific compounds. This volume deals with nucleic acid detection and characterization (NA hybridization, non radioactive labelling, DNA probes to rRNA, DNA hy- bridization, plasmid and chromosomal DNA, probes for identification of Mycobacterium, Leptospira, Campylo- bacter, Salmonella, peridontal disease, mycoplasma, yeasts, malaria, clinical microbiology); monoclonal antibody-based immunoassays [methods for making hybridomas, purifica- tion of antibodies, detection of Chlamydia, Treponema, Neisseria, Mycobacteria, Streptococci, Salmonella, Campy- lobacter, CIostridium, coliform bacteria). Practical details are given so that the reader can carry out many of the procedures, although the subject is developing so quickly that commercial probes are rapidly becoming available.

Antibodies. Vol. 2--Edited by D. Catty. 259pp. 1989. IRL/Oxford University Press, Oxford. $58 (cloth); $39 (paperback).

Design of Enzyme lnhibitors as Drugs--Edited by M. Sandier and H. J. Smith. 810pp. 1989. Oxford University Press, Oxford. $175.

After 6 chapters on the background to enzyme inhibitors, the book deals with the inhibitors of various systems such as renin-angiotensin, beta lactamase, enkephalinase, monoamine oxidase, polyamine oxidase, pyridoxil phos- phate systems, choline esterase, arachidonic pathway, dihy- drofolate reductases, sulphonamides, the pyrimidine pathway, purine biosynthesis, steroidal inhibitors of Na-K- ATPase, steroid biosynthesis, bacterial cell wall synthesis, proteinases [serpins, elastases, chymases, cathepsin C, trypsin], calmodulin-dependent phosphodiesterase and adenylate cyclase, carbonic anhydrase, methyl transfer and aminopropyl transfer, dopamine beta hydroxylase, alpha amylase, xanthine oxidase, 5 alpha reductase, histidine decarboxylase. This book provides a very useful survey of important developments in biochemical pharmacology.

Economic Medicinal Plant Research, Vol. 3---Edited by H. Wagner, H. Hikino and N. R. Farnsworth. 150pp. 1989. Academic Press, London. £28.

Vol. 1 dealt with the raising of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies and their major applications. Vol. 2 gives details of the use of antibodies in blood group serology; HLA serology; immunoassay using radiolabels; ELISA; immuno- peroxidase; immunofluorescence; fluorescence activated cell sorting; tumour detection; antibody radiolabelling. Good practical details are given together with the theoretical background and references. A very useful volume.

HPLC of Macromolecules; a Practical Apptoack--Edited by R. W. A. Oliver. 236pp. 1989. IRL/Oxford University Press, Oxford. $54 (cloth); $36 (paperback).

The aim of the present text is to present concise experimen- tal details of the HPLC separation of biological molecules having a mass greater than I000. The chapters deal with preparation of HPLC columns; HPLC instrumentation; size exclusion HPLC; ion exchange HPLC of proteins and pep- tides; reversed phase HPLC of proteins; HP affinity chro- matography; HPLC of nucleotides; affinity chromatography of complex carbohydrates using lectins; manufacturers and suppliers of HPLC equipment. Practical details, theory, and references are given.

Total worldwide imports of medicinal plants in 1980 came to $550 million. 1000 tonnes of Vinca are imported into the U.S.A. each year giving products worth $35 million in 1977. This book has reviews on the economic significance of

Thrombolysis in Cardiovascular Disease--Edited by D. Julian, W. Kubler, R. M. Norris, H. J. C. Swan, D. Coleman and M. Verstraete. 458 pp. 1989. Marcel Dekker, New York. $79.95 (U.S.A. and Canada); $95.50 (elsewhere).

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