Chemical, Biological and Practical Aspects of Brassinosteroids

Chemical, biological and practical aspects of brassinosteroids, a new class of plant hormones, have been reviewed with 70 references. Distribution of brassinosteroids in the plant kingdom, their microanalysis by GC/MS and HPLC methods, chemical syntheses of natural brassinosteroids and unnatural derivatives, their biological activities and physiological actions, and their practical applications in agricultural fields have been discussed. Brassinosteroids have been shown to possess the following characteristics : promotion of germination and plant growth, raising of ripening, thickening promotion, recovery from stresses under various conditions (temperature, soils, diseases, salt or pesticide injury and etc.), and effects on flowering or its differentiation. It is expected that brassinosteroids will contribute agricultural production in the near future.