Natural Substances in the Compositae: The Bohlmann Files
Perspectives
The verification of the scientific plant names, the
completion and correction of chemical data and the linking of synonyms (as far as
completed) has established the basis for further work on improving data content
after the project period ended. After the project's end the BGBM will provide the
database as a service and incorporate corrections and additions as received from the
scientific community. The BGBM's own research focus on this family and the variety of
established professional contacts will guarantee the continued maintenance of the
database.
Future options for which the BGBM will try to find the means are the following:
- Comprehensive error detection within the database: For example, erroneous literature
reports could be detected by cross-checking of the chemical structures and compounds
associated with sets of synonyms. The occurrence of specific compounds can be checked
against taxonomic subdivisions of the family to detect and investigate outliers.
- Linking the database to other taxonomic information systems: This can serve to correlate
the data with other factual data, so the Bohlmann database should be linked to the
forthcoming family database under GBIF. This should also provide crosslinks to further
sources of information on usage or bioactivity.
- Enabling remote entering and editing of data via the WWW. Since this
touches a number of data security aspects, the remote editing
capabilities of the JChem software are presently disabled. Future
development, however, could greatly profit from involving a number of
experts in data maintenance and quality control by providing them with
a suitable web editor.
- Adding further data: further taxonomic and bibliographic information and data on the
bioactivity or use of compounds or the
plant itself can also be added directly to the Bohlmann database.
- Finding materials for
experimentation or exploitation: On-line taxonomic information systems such
as Euro+Med Plantbase or IOPI (part of the Species 2000 initiative) could provide the
geographical distribution of the species, pointing interested parties to possible sources
of material. Taxonomic information systems can also reveal related species, which have
not been analysed yet but which may be a better source of an interesting compound (e.g.
if the originally investigated plant is protected, is unavailable for other reasons, or
can't be easily cultivated). Ideally, linking to commercial services may provide a direct
source for plant material. Likewise, linking to botanic garden information systems, such
as SysTax, may point to a source of material for research purposes in pharmacy and
botanical systematics.
- Taxonomic research: the comparatively large amount of information
made available allows for correlation of occurrences of substances in different
subdivisions of the family. It thus provides a base for hypothesis on phylogenetical
relationships which may be investigated or incorporated into ongoing research.
- Informatics:
the need for an open-source tool for storage and searching of chemical structures is
evident. The BGBM will try to foster such a development.
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