People
Simmonds, Monique
| Job Title | Deputy Keeper & Head of Sustainable Uses of Plants Group |
|---|---|
| Department | Jodrell |
| Section | Sustainable Uses |
| Science Teams |
Mycology Conventions and Policies Malpighiales United Kingdom Large-Scale Syntheses Myrtaceae Monocots II: Commelinids Monocots I: General Alismatids & Lilioids Leguminosae Drylands: Africa Madagascar Lamiaceae |
| Joined Kew | |
| Foreign Language(s) |
Qualifications & Appointments
BSc (Hons), Univ. Leeds.
PhD, Birkbeck College, Univ. London.
Fellow Royal Society of Entomology
Fellow World Innovation Foundation
Editor-in-Chief, Biochemical Systematics and Ecology
Editorial Board, Phytochemistry, Phytotherapy Research, Physiological Entomology, Journal of Tropical Medicinal Plants, Natural Product Communications
Visiting Professor, Birkbeck College University of London, University of Greenwich and School of Pharmacy University of London.
Role
Sustainable uses of plants; medicinal plants; plant–insect interactions; natural products, fungi, bio-control, economic botany, ethnobotany.
Heading the Kew Innovation Unit and co-ordinating the research of the Sustainable Uses of Plants group, which includes the Centre for Economic Botany and the Biological Interactions Section. This includes research into the economic uses of plants/fungi, their potential as pharmaceutical and agrochemical leads, and as sources of sustainably-harvested products. This involves not only studying the chemistry of plants and fungi, the biological activities (e.g. diabetes, anti-microbial, HIV, anti-malarial, cancer, insecticidal, antifeedants and anti-inflammatory) of extracts and isolated compounds and using the new DNA based phylogenies to assist guide the selection of species, but also working with those growing the plants. The group also develops chemical authentication methods for use by companies, NGO’s, government bodies and by field workers to check the quality of plant-derived products being sold as medicines, cosmetics and functional foods. These projects often involve the development of practical aspects of benefit-sharing strategies with commercial and other collaborators that support plant conservation in developing countries. Keen research interest in furthering our understanding of the role plant-derived compounds play in plant-animal interactions, especially their role in the host selection behaviour of insects. This basic ecological knowledge can assist identification of plant-derived compounds that have use in pest control as well as in pharmaceutical research. Furthering our knowledge about the historical uses and potential new uses of plants assists support plant conservation and it is vital that there is dissemination of this knowledge in ways that engage with the public, especially the young.
Projects
Authentication and Chemical Fingerprinting of Economically Important Species
Chemistry and Biological Activity of Myrtaceae
Chemistry of Passiflora (Passifloraceae)
Chemosystematics and Biological Activity of Alismatid and Lilioid Monocots
Chemosystematics and Biological Activity of Lamiaceae
Diversity of Biologically Active Plants and Plant-Derived Compounds
Fungal Metabolites: their Ecological Role and Economic Potential
Grass Evolution, Anti-Herbivory and Past Climate
Importance of Legumes and Legume-Derived Compounds in Medicine and Agriculture
Medicinal Plant Name Index (MPNI)
Medicinal Uses of British Plants
Plant Diversity Challenge: the Official UK Response to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation
Plant Resources of Tropical Africa (PROTA)
Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL)
Systematic Phytochemistry of Legumes
Systematics of Lamiaceae Subfamily Viticoideae
Systematics, Sustainable Use and Conservation of Tribe Ocimeae (Basil and Allies, Lamiaceae)
Selected Recent Publications
Kite, G.C. Porter, E.A. Simmonds, M.S.J. (2007). Chromatographic behaviour of steroidal saponins studied by high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography A, 1148: 177–183.
Kokubun, T., Irwin, D., Legg, M., Veitch, N.C. & Simmonds, M.S.J. (2007) Serialynic acid, a new phenol with an isopentenyne side chain from Antrodia serialis. Journal of Antibiotics 60: 285–288.
Stevenson, P.C. Veitch, N.C. Simmonds, M.S.J. (2007) Polyoxygenated cyclohexane derivatives and other constituents from Kaempferia rotunda L. Phytochemistry 68: 1579–1586.
Howes M.-J.R., Kite G.C., Simmonds M.S.J. (2009). Distinguishing Chinese star anise from Japanese star anise using thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. J. Agric. Food Chem. 57: 5783-5789.
Kite, G.C., Veitch, N.C., Boalch, M.E., Lewis, G.P., Leon, C.J., Simmonds, M.S.J. (2009). Flavonol tetraglycosides from fruits of Styphnolobium japonicum (Leguminosae) and the authentication of Fructus Sophorae and Flos Sophorae. Phytochemistry 70:785–794.
Selected Earlier Publications
Simmonds, M.S.J. & Stevenson, P.C. (2001). Effects of isoflavonoids from Cicer on larvae of Helicoverpa armigera. Journal of Chemical Ecology 27 965-977.
Kite, G.C., Howes, M.-J.R., Leon, C. & Simmonds, M.S.J. (2003). Liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry of malonyl-ginsenosides in the authentication of ginseng. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 17: 238-244.
Howes, M.-J., Simmonds, M.S.J. & Kite, G.C. (2004). Evaluation of the quality of sandalwood essential oils by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography A 1028: 307-312.
Kite, G.C., Howes, M-J.R. & Simmonds M.S.J. (2004). Metabolomic analysis of saponins in crude extracts of Quillaja saponaria by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry for product authentication. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 18:2859-2870.
Simmonds, M.S.J., Jarvis, A.P., Johnson, S., Jones, G.R. & Morgan E.D. (2004). Comparison of anti-feedant and insecticidal activity of nimbin and salannin photo-oxidation products with neem (Azadirachtin indica) limonoids. Pest Management Science 60: 459-464.
