Molecular biodiversity and recent analytical developments: a marriage of convenience.
Nature has developed an outstanding bio- and molecular diversity as a result of billion years of evolution resulting in a tremendous number of secondary metabolites. Among them a small part has been so far explored for discovery of lead compounds. The lead discovery from natural sources is a technological challenge for the pharmaceutical industry. The bio- and molecular diversity in plants, animals and microorganisms, as sources for new leads, and the remarkable recent developments in NMR, mass spectrometry coupled with advanced separation techniques (LC and GC), high throughput screening, and structure-based virtual screening are discussed in this article.
Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 23 Acad. G. Bonchev str., Sofia 1113, Bulgaria; AgroBioInstitute, Agricultural Academy, 8 Dragan Tsankov str., Sofia 1164, Bulgaria. Electronic address: berkov_str@yahoo.com.
Strahil
S
Berkov
The Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 26 G. Bonchev str., Sofia 1113, Bulgaria.
Blaga
B
Mutafova
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva-University of Lausanne, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, CH-1211 Genève 4, Switzerland.
Philippe
P
Christen
D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D001688:Biological Products; D001709:Biotechnology; D055808:Drug Discovery; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010944:Plants
D001688:Biological Products
Analytical platforms; Bioactivity; Biodiversity; Lead discovery; Molecular diversity; Technological progress