Plant glycosides: distribution and biosynthesis.

Plant glycosides are isolated, primarily from taxonomically interesting plants. The compounds are characterized mainly by high resolution NMR spectroscopy, but also by chemical modification. In conjunction with literature sources, the distribution of the compounds in the Plant Kingdom is mapped and the results are compared with traditional botanical characters in order to reveal relationships not discovered by traditional methods. The biosynthesis of iridoid glucosides is also investigated, using precursors with stable isotopes (deuterium and C-13). These are fed to intact plants, and the resulting metabolites are isolated and the isotopic labelling is measured by NMR.