Medicinal Chemistry of Plant-Derived Natural Products

An exploration of the critical role of plant-derived natural products in the discovery and development of pharmaceutical agents Illustrated throughout with a rich collection of rare and historical images, Medicinal Chemistry of Plant-Derived Natural Products provides a complete overview of the role of plants in drug discovery and development. Medicinal Chemistry of Plant-Derived Natural Products includes essential information covering practically all medicinal agents from plant origins studied in both chemical and pharmacological aspects. The book incorporates a wealth of primary information and references, including seminal publications and contemporary reviews. Among others, it includes some biosynthetic pathways, selected synthesis and /or semi-synthesis as well as pharmacological colour schemes where these drugs interact in order to cause their response(s). Chapters incorporate an historical background focusing the plant-drug prototype and its further evolution. Ideal for students, graduates, Professors preparing their lectures and researchers in academia and industry, Medicinal Chemistry of Plant-Derived Natural Products offers invaluable insights into the journey of transforming plants into pharmaceuticals. The book represents a complementary contribution to the author's previous volume The Evolution of Drug Discovery: From Traditional Medicine to Modern Drugs (Wiley-VCH, 2011), and deals with plant-derived drug prototypes, semisynthetic to drugs inspired by the original, natural prototype, as well as raw plant substances as starting materials for drug synthesis. Together these books represent an agile approach to medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry organized on the basis of the origin of current drugs.