Book excerpt: This book presents all important aspects of modern alkaloid chemistry, making it the only work of its kind to offer up-to-date and comprehensive coverage. While the first part concentrates on the structure and biology of bioactive alkaloids, the second one analyzes new trends in alkaloid isolation and structure elucidation, as well as in alkaloid synthesis and biosynthesis. A must for biochemists, organic, natural products, and medicinal chemists, as well as pharmacologists, pharmaceutists, and those working in the pharmaceutical industry.