ABSTRACT
Plant life in its various forms is widely recognized as the most readily available, abundant source of new chemicals or leads for synthetic chemicals to meet the growing needs of the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries. The array of chemicals produced by plants is enormous, but the number of known compounds represents only a fraction of the total. Furthermore, the diversity of biological activities exhibited by different groups of compounds continues to offer countless opportunities for practical applications. While we have become more aware of this chemical treasure and we increasingly exploit the unique properties of individual phytochemicals, especially as pharmaceuticals, the adaptive significance of these natural chemicals in the evolution of plants tends to be either ignored or forgotten.
