6
Natural product chemistry
Learning objectives
After completing this chapter the student should be able to
provide an overview of the natural product drug discovery process;
discuss the importance of natural products in medicine;
describe the origin, chemistry, biosynthesis and pharmaceutical importance of various classes of natural products including alkaloids, carbohydrates, glycosides, iridoids and secoiridoids, phenolics, steroids and
terpenoids.
6.1 Introduction to natural product drug discovery
process
6.1.1 Natural products
Natural products are products from various natural sources, plants, microbes
and animals. Natural products can be an entire organism (e.g. a plant, an animal
or a micro-organism), a part of an organism (e.g. leaves or flowers of a plant, an
isolated animal organ), an extract of an organism or part of an organism and an
exudate, or pure compound (e.g. alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, lignans,
steroids and terpenoids) isolated from plants, animals or micro-organisms.
However, in practice, the term natural product refers to secondary metabolites,
small molecules (molecular weight < 1500 amu), produced by an organism,
but not strictly necessary for the survival of the organism.
Chemistry for Pharmacy Students Satyajit D Sarker and Lutfun Nahar
# 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Natural product chemistry
Learning objectives
After completing this chapter the student should be able to
provide an overview of the natural product drug discovery process;
discuss the importance of natural products in medicine;
describe the origin, chemistry, biosynthesis and pharmaceutical importance of various classes of natural products including alkaloids, carbohydrates, glycosides, iridoids and secoiridoids, phenolics, steroids and
terpenoids.
6.1 Introduction to natural product drug discovery
process
6.1.1 Natural products
Natural products are products from various natural sources, plants, microbes
and animals. Natural products can be an entire organism (e.g. a plant, an animal
or a micro-organism), a part of an organism (e.g. leaves or flowers of a plant, an
isolated animal organ), an extract of an organism or part of an organism and an
exudate, or pure compound (e.g. alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, lignans,
steroids and terpenoids) isolated from plants, animals or micro-organisms.
However, in practice, the term natural product refers to secondary metabolites,
small molecules (molecular weight < 1500 amu), produced by an organism,
but not strictly necessary for the survival of the organism.
Chemistry for Pharmacy Students Satyajit D Sarker and Lutfun Nahar
# 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.