Modern methods to produce natural-product libraries

• Published in: Current Opinion in Chemical Biology Vol. 6; no. 4; pp. 453 - 458
• Main Authors: Abel, Ulrich, Koch, Corinna, Speitling, Michael, Hansske, Friedrich G
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2002
• Subjects: Animals; Biological Factors - chemistry; Biological Factors - isolation & purification; Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques; Drug Design; DYMONS; Gene Library; high-throughput screening; HTS; Humans; lead discovery; libraries; Natural products; Technology, Pharmaceutical - methods; lead discovery; Natural products; HTS; high-throughput screening; libraries; Chemical Biology; Drug Discovery; DYMONS
• ISSN: 1367-5931; 1879-0402
• DOI: 10.1016/S1367-5931(02)00338-1

Natural sources offer a wealth of chemically diverse compounds that have been evolutionary preselected to modulate biochemical pathways. Several industrial and academic groups are accessing this source using advanced technology platforms. Methods have been reported to generate large and diverse natural-product libraries optimised for high-throughput screening and for a fast discovery process. In addition to prefractionated and pure natural-product libraries, parallel synthesis gives access to synthetic, semi-synthetic and natural-product-like libraries. Natural-product chemistry and organic synthesis are powerful tools for optimising natural leads and for generating new diversity from natural scaffolds. The amalgamation of both may be expected to become an important strategy in future drug design. Natural sources offer a wealth of chemically diverse compounds that have been evolutionary preselected to modulate biochemical pathways. Several industrial and academic groups are accessing this source using advanced technology platforms.