title: SPR in drug discovery: searching bioactive compounds in plant extracts.
abstract: Biosensors represent an interesting tool in the search of bioactive compounds. In particular, optical sensors based on Surface Plasmon Resonance transduction (SPR) allow monitoring of biomolecular interaction in real time and without any labelling of the interactants. The biosensor analysis can be applied to both pure compounds or to complex mixtures (e.g. plant extract). The SPR detection principle is here presented and the application to the analysis of plant extracts (i.e. of Chelidonium majus L.) as a paradigmatic example for the search of bioactive compounds able to interact with DNA, is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica Facoltà di Scienze Matematiche Fisiche e Naturali, Università degli Studi di Firenze - Polo Scientifico, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minunni
authors.forename: Anna Rita
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bilia
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D019921:Biotinylation; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods*; D055767:Immobilized Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019809:Streptavidin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D055767:Immobilized Proteins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D004247:DNA; D019809:Streptavidin