Editorial: Natural products chemistry in China

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Abstract

China is a country rich in plants and microbe species that cultivate a remarkable diversity of secondary metabolites. Such products include ‘qinghaosu’ (artemisinin) and huperzine A, which are used in the treatment of malaria and Alzheimer's disease, respectively.

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Since ancient times, Chinese people have used herbs to treat numerous diseases, and the practice and peculiarities of using herbal medicines has been passed down from generation to generation. Knowledge and experience about the safety and toxicity of these organism-based drugs has been acquired over hundreds of years to provide the solid foundation for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which is only in part understood by modern science and technology. Some drug molecules or leads have been directly taken from TCM, as exemplified by ‘qinghaosu’ (artemisinin) and huperzine A,¹ which are used clinically to treat malaria and Alzheimer’s disease, respectively.

This special issue of Natural Product Reports focuses on ‘Natural Products Chemistry in China’ and brings together review articles from well-established Chinese laboratories undertaking research in the vast field of natural products chemistry.

The most common topic of research covered by this collection of reviews is the chemical and biological aspects of phytochemicals isolated from herbs and other plants endemic to China. Professor Sun (Kunming Institute of Botany, Kunming), renowned for work on the phytochemistry of the Labiatae family, contributes an informative and comprehensive article on the diterpenoids from Isodon species.²

Professors Jia (an eminent bioorganic chemist at Lanzhou University, Lanzhou) and Shi (a younger phytochemist at the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Lanzhou) write jointly a summary of phytochemicals characterized from species in the Asteraceae family.³ Professor Li (China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing), who specialises in the quality control of a broad range of TCMs, provides an overview of the chemistry, bioactivity and geographic dependence of steroidal alkaloids from plants belonging to the Liliaceae family.⁴

Microorganisms continue to be a rich source of structurally unique and biologically potent natural products, attracting the attention and enthusiasm of several Chinese research groups.

My laboratory (Nanjing University, Nanjing) has contributed an article which records new findings about the chemistry and biology of endophytes, which are ubiquitous inside the healthy tissues of naturally growing plants.⁵

Sustainability of resources, mass production of important natural products and knowledge of the artificial and biological synthesis of such compounds are also very active research areas. To cover these, Professor Ma (Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Shanghai), a leading expert in organic synthesis, summarises recent progress in the total synthesis of natural products in China.⁶

In addition, Dr Wu (Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong), who is well experienced in plant biotechnology, offers a comprehensive overview on the development and application of plant tissue culture protocols for plant-derived medicines.⁷ Professor Deng (Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai) contributes towards the discussion on antibiotic biosynthetic pathways and pathway engineering in his article.⁸

Besides the contributors to this special issue, work of other leading Chinese scientists deserves readers' attention. Professor Liu (Kunming Institute of Botany, Kunming), an active researcher in fungal metabolites, highlights secondary metabolites of higher fungi endemic to or abundant in China. Some of these fungal products can be promising drug leads, as exemplified by concentricolide.⁹ Professor H. X. Lou (Shandong University, Jinan), an expert on lichen chemistry, has characterized from liverworts a large array of citenzyls and bis(bibenzyl) compounds, such as plagiochin E and riccardin H.¹⁰ The research of Professor Guo's group (Peking University, Beijing) is aimed at the biotransformation of active principles.¹¹

In addition, novel compounds with unusual skeletons/frameworks are the focus of recent work in our laboratories (see refs. 174 and 190 in our review⁵), and in the groups headed by Professors Guo,¹² Lin,¹³ Shi,¹⁴ Wu,¹⁵ Yu¹⁶ and Yue.¹⁷ It is also noteworthy that some Chinese groups have recently disclosed the molecular mechanisms of action of some natural products, such as genipin¹⁸ and berberine.¹⁹

Finally, the editor would like to express sincere gratitude to each author for their contribution and enthusiasm in making this special issue a reality. I do hope that readers will enjoy the new information and insights in these articles, and that the special issue will strengthen your impression that China is a hotbed of research in natural product sciences.

References

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