The natural products and the modern medicinal chemistry

Quimica nova

关键词: medicinal chemistry;    natural products;    drug design.;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0100-40422006000200025

学科分类：化学（综合）

来源: Sociedade Brasileira de Quimica

【 摘 要 】

Natural productshave been utilized by humans since ancient times and the relief and cure oftheir diseases was the first purpose for using natural products in medicine.The history of the oriental and occidental civilizations is very rich in examplesof the utilization of natural products in medicine and health care. Chinesetraditional medicine is one of the most important examples of how natural productscan be efficient in the treatment of diseases, and it points to the importanceof scientific research on natural products, concerning the discovery of newactive chemical entities. The complexity, chemical diversity and biologicalproperties of natural products always fascinated people, and during the last200 years, this led to the discovery of important new drugs. In the last 30years, the development of new bioassay techniques, biotechnology methods, bio-guidedphytochemical studies, automated high throughput screening and high performanceanalytical methods, have introduced new concepts and possibilities of rationaldrug design and drug discovery. In this context, natural products have playedan important and decisive role in the development of modern medicinal chemistry.

【 授权许可】

CC BY