Ecological function and prospects for utilization of cucurbitacins
葫芦素的生态功能及其应用前景

The cucurbitacins,as the secondary metabolites,were the oxygenated tetracyclic triterpenoids which produced from the family Cucurbitaceae.More than 100 species from about 30 genera generate such peculiar secondary metabolites.As the bitter and toxic allomones,cucurbitacins protect the plants from the attack by a variety of herbivores and pathogen.On the other hand,as the kairomones,cucurbitacins attract phytophagous insects to the host plants.The complex relationship between the Cucurbitaceae plants and the...