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Medicinal Plants & Natural Drug Molecules
Medicinal Plants & Natural Drug Molecules
Toxin or Medicine?
Digoxin from foxglove:
Cardiac glycoside (terpenoid).
High dose: vomiting, cardiac arrest, death.
Low dose: treats congestive heart failure (CHF) and edema.
Morphine from opium poppy:
Alkaloid (nitrogenous compound).
Highly addictive; caused Opium Wars.
Overdose: respiratory failure, death.
Relieves severe pain as a CNS depressant.
Use of Herbal Medicine
Fossil records: Neanderthals used early versions of penicillin and aspirin.
Written documents: Sumerian clay tablets (4000 years old), Papyrus Ebers (ancient Egyptian medicine).
Still used by 60% of the world population.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Accounts for >40% of China's pharmaceutical market.
Annual turnover >190 billion yuan.
Governmental funding: TCM inheritance, innovation, internationalization, modernization, and standardization to identify bioactive compounds.
Bioactive Compounds
Produce physiological effects in living cells and tissues.
Many are secondary metabolites (terpenoids, phenolics, nitrogenous compounds) produced under stress.
Case 1: Malaria
Caused by Plasmodium spp., transmitted by female Anopheles mosquito.
Quinine
Alkaloid from fever tree bark.
Antimalarial effect discovered in the 17th century.
Kills Plasmodium in bloodstream.
Tonic water: soda & sugar mask bitter taste.
Extraction from bark causes deforestation.
Artemisinin
Terpenoid from sweet wormwood.
Kills Plasmodium effectively with fewer side effects; also shows anti-inflammatory & anti-cancer effects.
Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) completes clearance and hinders resistance.
Production:
Extraction: inconsistent harvest, long lead time, low yield (0.01 – 0.8%).
Total synthesis: Short lead time, but low yield & high cost.
Semi-synthesis: Medium lead time, High cost.
Biosynthesis: Higher yield ,Under development.
Case 2: Cancer
Malignant tumor with abnormal cell growth & potential to spread.
Caused by genetic mutation: hyperactive oncogenes, inactive tumor suppressor or DNA repair genes.
Vincristine
Alkaloid from Madagascar periwinkle.
Antimitosis by preventing microtubule formation.
Very low yield (<0.0003%) from extraction.
Semi-synthesis from 2 natural precursors.
Paclitaxel
Terpenoid from Pacific yew bark.
Antimitosis by preventing microtubule disassembly.
Broader anticancer activity & less cytotoxic effect.
Production:
Extraction: low yield and slow growth.
Total synthesis: complicated steps, low yield, high cost.
Semi-synthesis: abundant precursors, high yield.
Biosynthesis: pathway not fully understood, low & unstable yield.
Considerations of Production Method
Extraction: growth rate, bioactive compound concentration.
Total synthesis: chirality (R vs S).
Semi-synthesis: suitable precursor.
Biosynthesis: optimal conditions, potential contamination.
Other considerations: usage & demand, chemical complexity, cost effectiveness.
Cytoprotective Effect 20(S)-Rg3 on Benzo[a]pyrene-Induced DNA Damage
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