Semiochemicals containing lepidopteran sex pheromones: Wonderland for a natural product chemist

Discovery of pyrazines as pollinator sex pheromones and orchid semiochemicals: implications for the evolution of sexual deception.

Sexually deceptive orchids employ floral volatiles to sexually lure their specific pollinators. How and why this pollination system has evolved independently on multiple continents remains unknown, although preadaptation is considered to have been important. Understanding the chemistry of sexual deception is a crucial first step towards solving this mystery. The combination of gas chromatograph...

A 'natural' weight loss product containing sibutramine.

For consumers who want to lose weight, using a product claiming to make that weight loss easier may be an attractive option. Herbal products are often perceived as safe because they are ‘natural’. However, these products are not free of risks. Herbal products themselves can be a cause of adverse drug reactions but these products can also be adulterated with active pharmacological ingredients. A...

Analysis of Toxicology Studies with Lbam and Related Lepidopteran Pheromones

Novel Sex Cells and Evidence for Sex Pheromones in Diatoms

BACKGROUND Diatoms belong to the stramenopiles, one of the largest groups of eukaryotes, which are primarily characterized by a presence of an anterior flagellum with tubular mastigonemes and usually a second, smooth flagellum. Based on cell wall morphology, diatoms have historically been divided into centrics and pennates, of which only the former have flagella and only on the sperm. Molecular...

Sex pheromones in amphibians: a review

Amphibians are interesting animals, very often kept by aquarists and vivarists. Their ability of intraspecific chemical signalization belongs to very interesting biological features. The skin glands of anurans secrete various biologically active compounds. The pheromones are peptides consisting of various numbers of amino acid residues and their synthesis is regulated by hormones (e.g. prolacti...