Toxicology 96 (1995) 77-78

Book Review

Biogene - Gifte - Biologie - Chemie - Pharma- kologie (Biogenic . Toxins - Biology - Chemistry - Pharmacology), E. Teuscher and U. Lindquist (Editors), Ernst-Moritz-Amdt University, Greifs- wald, Germany, XIII + 681 pp. including 60 figures and 379 colour prints, 2nd edition. Available from Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart, Jena, New York, 1994. Hardcover DM298. ISBN 3-437-30747-9.

Of all compounds toxic to mammalians (tox- obiotics) biogenic toxins form a special subclass. It includes a huge amount of chemical structures created by organisms obviously to fortify and de- fend their areas of life. This fact proves that nature per se is not just good, but sometimes follows radi- cal practices. Recently, the knowledge of these natural toxins has grown enormously. For this rea- son a second enlarged and revised edition of the book ‘Biogene Gifte’ (Biogenic Toxins) of the authors E. Teuscher and U. Lindquist, both pro- fessors for pharmaceutical biology, became necessary.

In general, biogenic toxins gave the first impetus to man to use the compounds as tools (for hun- ting) and to reflect about their modes of action. Today, toxins serve as a pool of ideas, collected during the evolution, to develop new or recognize old strategies in the treatment of maladies and to gain new insights into the functioning of organisms.

This volume covers the toxins produced by bac- teria spread all over the world, while informations of fungi, plants and animals are essentially restricted to those of central Europe.

In the first chapter the authors establish a precise scientific terminology. They favour a ter- minus ‘toxicology’ which includes the knowledge of different aspects of a toxin, beginning with the

biology and taxonomy of its producer, the chemis- try, biosynthesis, pharmacokinetics, pharmaco- dynamics and the mode of action of the toxin in mammals, and ending with therapeutic concepts to treat intoxications. This terminus is the program- matic definition summarizing the aim of this book within one word. But it is by far not used conse- quently throughout the book as it is too global to organize the material. Chapter one continues with historical details of the discovery of the first natu- ral toxins followed by general comments on the sources of biogenic toxins, on the structures, on the actions in organisms and is closed by con- siderations on the general and clinical toxicology.

In the 41 subsequent chapters the toxins are presented according to their chemical classifica- tion such as: aliphatic acids, polyines, polyketides, terpenes (7 chapters), steroids, saponines, phenyl- propane derivatives, anthracenes, amino acids, amines, cyanogenic compounds, glucosinolates, aliphatic nitro compounds, alkaloides (17 chapters), and peptides including lectines (5 chapters). It was intended to exclude antibiotically acting compounds.

Besides the basic and classic fields of biogenic toxins the book comprises a lot of informations on fields recently gaining importance such as ochratoxins (mycotoxins), pyrethroids (insec- ticides), taxan derivatives (cancerostatics) and the widely expanding field of toxins in marine (micro)organisms.

In order to visualize the biological origin of the toxins 379 high quality colour prints, inserted every 16 pages, illustrate the text. The sometimes complex structures of the toxins are elucidated by some 2500 structural formula. About 60 tables serve to present mostly chemical, taxonomical and toxicological informations.

0300-483XPW$09.50 0 1995 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved SSDI 0300-483X(94)02974-Y

78 Book Review / Toxicology 96 (1955) 77-78

Due to the precisely-given references the reader is able to follow the lines of knowledge back to their origins. Cosequently, he also finds older ar- ticles and even books dating back to 1803 (Gmelin). This instructively shows that often the discovery is made during several generations. This explains the fact that about one-half of the more than 5500 references is older than 15 years. Unfor- tunately, the citations do include neither the title nor the length of the articles so that decisive infor- mations are lost. The literature cited is mostly English, but there are also articles in Japanese, German and Slavic languages, which at least part- ly mirrors a pre-Medline period in Europe. Jour- nal abbreviations used are not always stringent. There is little information on cited doctoral theses, the eldest of which, in Latin, dates back to 1855, e.g. without any indication of its place of origin

(=Tu). The information of the biogenic toxins is

presented in a well written German style. Due to the mostly Latin-Creek terminology and interna- tional chemical nomenclature the data are easily accessible also to non-german speaking readers for whom the book will be an exhaustive reference.

The user of the book is served by an index of ap- proximately !WOO key words, differentiating be- tween organisms, their colour prints and the chemical structures of their toxins. However, the index does not allow accessibility of all details mentioned in the text (e.g. pontic honey, witches of Salem). It would be easier to find the respective lit- erature if the chapter number was indicated in the page headings.

Although the two-kilogram volume is well for- mated, styled and bound by a publisher, who is obliged to his traditional motto semper bonis ar- tibus, the reader’s comfort is affected by the strongly light-reflecting paper.

The book is a valuable help for scientists, teachers, and interested laymen and students, albeit it is no textbook. The relatively high price seems to be justified as it provides in a condensed form a vast number of informations of different scientific areas. One should wish that in the future a third edition would appear in the English lan- guage for the benefit of an enlarged international readership.

w. Legrum