Themed collection Botanical Natural Products in Drug Discovery
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From plant to cancer drug: lessons learned from the discovery of taxol
This Viewpoint describes events during the 1960s and 1970s that led to the discovery of taxol, which remains one of the most effective treatments for breast and ovarian cancer. We highlight lessons relevant to natural products drug discovery today.
Nat. Prod. Rep., 2023,40, 1153-1157
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3NP00017F
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The role of Caenorhabditis elegans in the discovery of natural products for healthy aging
This review covers the role of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a whole organism model to study natural products for healthy aging. Literature between 2012 and 2023 was comprehensively analysed and is presented in a concise way.
Nat. Prod. Rep., 2023,40, 1849-1873
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3NP00021D
Recent advances in the discovery of plant-derived antimicrobial natural products to combat antimicrobial resistant pathogens: insights from 2018–2022
Plants produce a wide array of secondary metabolites capable of inhibiting pathways crucial for microbial survival and pathogenicity.
Nat. Prod. Rep., 2023,40, 1271-1290
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2NP00090C
Discovery and development of botanical natural products and their analogues as therapeutics for ovarian cancer
This review highlights botanical natural products with activity against ovarian cancer and key drug development considerations for their advancement.
Nat. Prod. Rep., 2023,40, 1250-1270
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2NP00091A
Natural products from plants targeting key enzymes for the future development of antidiabetic agents
This review summarizes plant metabolites targeting crucial enzymes involved in glucose homeostasis useful for antidiabetic drug development.
Nat. Prod. Rep., 2023,40, 1198-1249
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3NP00007A
Strategies for the discovery of potential anticancer agents from plants collected from Southeast Asian tropical rainforests as a case study
The present review summarizes recent accomplishments made as part of a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional anticancer drug discovery project, wherein higher plant samples were collected primarily from tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia.
Nat. Prod. Rep., 2023,40, 1181-1197
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2NP00080F
Plant glycosyltransferases for expanding bioactive glycoside diversity
This article highlights previous and prospective uses for plant glycosyltransferases in generating and diversifying bioactive glycosides, with implications in drug discovery applications.
Nat. Prod. Rep., 2023,40, 1170-1180
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2NP00077F
Artemisinin as a therapeutic vs. its more complex Artemisia source material
Many small molecule drugs are first discovered in nature, commonly the result of long ethnopharmacological use by people, and then characterized and purified from their biological sources.
Nat. Prod. Rep., 2023,40, 1158-1169
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2NP00072E
About this collection
This themed issue, guest edited by Nadja Cech, Nicholas Oberlies and Cassandra Quave, aims to highlight the impact botanical natural products have had in drug discovery along with their potential for the future.