Grayer, Renée J.
Job Title
Research phytochemist (retired since 2007)
Department
Jodrell
Section
Sustainable Uses
Science Teams:
Joined Kew:
1994Foreign Language(s):
Dutch (mother tongue), German, French, LatinQualifications & Appointments
Kandidaats (BSc), Univ. Leiden
Doctoraal, Univ. Leiden
DSc, Univ. Leiden.
Editorial Board, Biochemical Systematics and Ecology
Role
Chemo-systematics of the Lamiales, especially Lamiaceae.
Comparative phytochemistry of genera belonging to Lamiaceae, e.g. Ocimum, Plectranthus, Thymus and Stachys and other genera belonging to the order Lamiales, especially Veronica (Fam. Plantaginaceae, formerly Scrophulariaceae), with the aim to find chemosystematic markers at the infrageneric or infraspecific levels. The results are compared with classifications based on DNA sequences when available. Methods used include high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection (DAD, providing ultraviolet spectra of compounds) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (APCI-MS) of crude leaf extracts.
Projects
- Authentication and Chemical Fingerprinting of Economically Important Species
- Diversity of Biologically Active Plants and Plant-Derived Compound
- Chemosystematics and biological activity of Lamiaceae
- Fungal metabolites
- Genera Orchidacearum
- Medicinal Uses of British Plants
- Plant-Insect Interactions
- Salvia (Lamiaceae)
- Systematics, Sustainable Use and Conservation of Tribe Ocimeae (Basil and Allies, Lamiaceae)
Selected Recent Publications
Grayer, R.J., Eckert, M.R., Lever, A., Veitch, N.C., Kite, G.C., Paton, A. J. , 2010. Distribution of exudate flavonoids in the genus Plectranthus. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 38, 335-341.
Veitch, N.C., Grayer, R.J., 2009. The Phytochemistry of Cymbidiae. In Genera Orchidacearum, Volume 5. (Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.W. & Rasmussen, F.N., eds), Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Skoula, M., Grayer, R.J., Kite, G.C, Veitch, N.C., 2008. Distribution of exudate flavones and flavanones in the genus Origanum. Biochemical Syst. Ecol. 36, 646-654.
Veitch, N.C., Grayer, R.J., 2008. Flavonoids and their glycosides, including anthocyanins. Natural Product Reports 25, 555-611
- Grayer, R.J., Thabrew, M.I., Hughes, R.D., Bretherton, S., Lever, A., Veitch, N.C., Kite, G.C., Lelli, R., Simmonds, M.S.J., 2008. Phenolic and terpenoid constituents from the Sri Lankan medicinal plant, Osbeckia aspera. Pharmaceutical Biology 46: 154-161.
Selected Earlier Publications
Grayer, R.J., 2006. Chemotaxonomy, diversity of plant compounds and plant conservation. In Leadlay, E., Jury, S. (eds.) Taxonomy and Conservation of Plants. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge., pp. 191-202.
Grayer, R.J., Veitch, N.C., 2006. Flavanones and Dihydroflavonols. In: Ø.M. Andersen, K.R. Markham (eds.) Flavonoids: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Applications. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 917-1002.
Grayer, R.J., Eckert, M.R., Veitch, N.C., Kite, G.C., Marin, P.D., Kokubun, T., Simmonds, M.S.J., Paton, A.J., 2003. The chemotaxonomic significance of two bioactive caffeic acid esters, nepetoidins A and B, in the Lamiaceae. Phytochemistry 64, 519-528.
Grayer, R.J., Kite, G.C., Veitch, N.C., Eckert, M.R., Marin, P.D., Senanayake, P., Paton, A.J., 2002. Leaf flavonoid glycosides as chemosystematic characters in Ocimum. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 30, 327-342.
Grayer, R.J., Veitch, N.C., Kite, G.C., Price, A.M. and Kokubun, T., 2001. Distribution of 8-oxygenated leaf-surface flavones in Ocimum. Phytochemistry 56, 559-567.
