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Review
. 2019 Sep;86(1):e67.
doi: 10.1002/cpph.67.

Natural Products as a Foundation for Drug Discovery

John A Beutler  1
Affiliations
Review

Natural Products as a Foundation for Drug Discovery

John A Beutler. Curr Protoc Pharmacol. 2019 Sep.

Abstract

Many natural products have been used as drugs for the treatment of diverse indications. Although most U.S. pharmaceutical companies have reduced or eliminated their in-house natural-product research over the years, new approaches for compound screening and chemical synthesis are resurrecting interest in exploring the therapeutic value of natural products. The aim of this commentary is to review emerging strategies and techniques that have made natural products a viable strategic choice for inclusion in drug discovery programs. Published 2019. U.S. Government.

Keywords: drug discovery; natural products; screening.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Extremes of complexity in natural-product structures: (A ) Pinene and (B ) Maitotoxin.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Structures of (A ) cephalostatin 1, (B ) mitomycin C, and (C ) esperamicin A1.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Structures of (A ) bryostatin 1 and (B ) a bryolog.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Structures of (A ) halichondrin B and (B ) its simplified analog eribulin.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Structures of some common nuisance compounds. (A ) A common condensed tannin, proanthocyanidin C1. (B ) A hydrolyzable tannin. (C ) A phorbol ester, phorbol 12-tigliate 13-decanoate. (D ) A saponin, ginsenoside Rb2. (E ) General repeating structure of a marine anionic polysaccharide. (F ) General repeating structure of a cationic polymeric alkylpyridine, halitoxin.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Structures of some common nuisance compounds. (A ) A common condensed tannin, proanthocyanidin C1. (B ) A hydrolyzable tannin. (C ) A phorbol ester, phorbol 12-tigliate 13-decanoate. (D ) A saponin, ginsenoside Rb2. (E ) General repeating structure of a marine anionic polysaccharide. (F ) General repeating structure of a cationic polymeric alkylpyridine, halitoxin.
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Update of

  • Curr Protoc Pharmacol.

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