title: Current perspectives in drug discovery against tuberculosis from natural products.
abstract: Currently, one third of the world's population is latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), while 8.9-9.9 million new and relapse cases of tuberculosis (TB) are reported yearly. The renewed research interests in natural products in the hope of discovering new and novel antitubercular leads have been driven partly by the increased incidence of multidrug-resistant strains of MTB and the adverse effects associated with the first- and second-line antitubercular drugs. Natural products have been, and will continue to be a rich source of new drugs against many diseases. The depth and breadth of therapeutic agents that have their origins in the secondary metabolites produced by living organisms cannot be compared with any other source of therapeutic agents. Discovery of new chemical molecules against active and latent TB from natural products requires an interdisciplinary approach, which is a major challenge facing scientists in this field. In order to overcome this challenge, cutting edge techniques in mycobacteriology and innovative natural product chemistry tools need to be developed and used in tandem. The present review provides a cross-linkage to the most recent literature in both fields and their potential to impact the early phase of drug discovery against TB if seamlessly combined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Ghana; Department of Public Health, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Joseph Mwanzia
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nguta
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Ghana.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Appiah-Opong
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Ghana.
authors.forename: Alexander K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Nyarko
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Ghana.
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yeboah-Manu
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Experimentation, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Ghana.
authors.forename: Phyllis G A
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Addo
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D028142:Berberis / Q000737:chemistry; D001681:Biological Assay; D001688:Biological Products / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D028002:Oplopanax / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Bioassay-guided fractionation; Dormancy; Drug discovery; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Natural products; Natural products chemistry