Phenolic plant secondary metabolites have assumed an important position in the examination of the impact of plant chemistry on a wide range of ecological interactions. This book outlines the various classes of phenolic compounds likely to be encountered by biologists, our present knowledge of their role(s), and deals in detail with methods for their quantitation, isolation and identification. Methods of quantitative analyses include detailed descriptions of both chemical and biochemical techniques, and discussion of problems with the interpretation of results. This volume differs from other recent publications on plant phenolics in that it is witten primarily for biologists, both as a non-technical introduction to the chemistry of phenolic compounds and as a practical aid to their analysis by the non-specialist