title: Anti-human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV) natural products with special emphasis on HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
abstract: This review article aims at summarizing research findings concerning natural products which are endowed with the ability to inhibit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). An emphasis is placed on HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitors because the bulk of the literature is focused on these compounds. It was found that a spectacular diversity of chemical structures encompassing proteins, terpenoids, coumarins, xanthones, alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, and polysaccharides, which are elaborated by plant species as phylogenetically remote as the algae, gymnosperms and angiosperms, were capable of rendering the retroviral enzyme less active. The literature pertaining to natural products with HIV protease and integrase inhibitory activities is less voluminous.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories.
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yeung
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019428:HIV Integrase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015394:Molecular Structure; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D019428:HIV Integrase Inhibitors; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors