13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the studies of biosythetic routes of natural products.

During the last five decades, as a result of an interaction between natural product chemistry, synthetic organic chemistry, molecular biology and spectroscopy, scientists reached an extraordinary level of comprehension about the natural processes by which living organisms build up complex motecules. In this context, C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, allied with isotopic labeling, played a determinant role. Nowadays, the widespread use of modern NMR techniques allows an even more detailed picture of the biochemical steps by accurate manipulation of the atomic nuclei. This article focuses on the development of such techniques and their impact on biosynthetic studies.