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Related Concept Videos

Drug Discovery: Overview01:26

Drug Discovery: Overview

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Drug discovery is a multifaceted process involving extensive screening, testing, and optimization of lead compounds to identify potential new drugs for therapeutic use. It combines several approaches, including screening large numbers of natural products, chemical modification of known active molecules, identification of new drug targets, and rational design based on biological mechanisms and drug-receptor structure. These approaches are carried out in both academic research laboratories and...
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Principles of Drug Action01:24

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Drugs are chemical substances that modify biological responses by interacting with macromolecular targets such as receptors, ion channels, transporters, and enzymes. Pharmacodynamics describes the course of action of drugs leading to the physiological effect at a specific site in the body.
Drugs can be agonists or antagonists. Like the endogenous ligands, agonists always bind and activate the target to produce a cellular response. Agonist binding induces a conformational change which in turn...
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Targets for Drug Action: Overview01:26

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Drugs target macromolecules to modify ongoing cellular processes. Primary drug targets include receptors, ion channels, transporters, and enzymes.
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Drug design is a dynamic field that involves discovering and developing new medications based on specific biological targets. This process heavily relies on structure-activity relationships (SAR) and quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) to guide the design and optimization of efficient drugs.
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Agonists are drugs that interact with specific receptors in the body to produce a biological response. When an agonist binds to a receptor, it activates or enhances the receptor's function, leading to physiological effects. The interaction between agonist drugs and receptors is crucial for their therapeutic action in various medical treatments.
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Direct-acting cholinergic agonists, such as synthetic choline esters and naturally occurring alkaloids, exert their effects by enhancing the actions of acetylcholine and stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Synthetic choline esters share structural similarities with acetylcholine. For example, they have a positively charged quaternary ammonium or onium group, contributing to their hydrophilic characteristics. As a result, they are poorly absorbed in the body through oral...
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Cellular Membrane Affinity Chromatography Columns to Identify Specialized Plant Metabolites Interacting with Immobilized Tropomyosin Kinase Receptor B
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Alkaloids in Future Drug Discovery.

Maria-José U Ferreira1

  • 1Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 25, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Alkaloids are nitrogen-containing natural products found in diverse organisms. These compounds exhibit significant biological activities, making them crucial in pharmacology and natural product research.

Area of Science:

  • Natural Product Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Marine Biology
  • Botany

Background:

  • Alkaloids are a diverse class of nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites synthesized by various organisms.
  • These compounds are known for their potent biological activities and pharmacological relevance.
  • Marine and terrestrial environments are rich sources of novel alkaloid structures.

Discussion:

  • The biosynthesis pathways of alkaloids are complex and vary across different taxonomic groups.
  • Structure-activity relationship studies are essential for understanding the biological effects of alkaloids.
  • Investigating the ecological roles of alkaloids in their producing organisms provides valuable insights.

Key Insights:

  • Alkaloids possess a wide spectrum of biological properties, including antimicrobial, anticancer, and neuroactive effects.

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  • The structural diversity of alkaloids offers a vast chemical space for drug discovery.
  • Marine alkaloids represent an underexplored resource for novel therapeutic agents.

    • Outlook:

    • Further exploration of underexplored environments, particularly marine ecosystems, will likely yield new alkaloid scaffolds.
    • Advanced analytical techniques will facilitate the identification and characterization of novel alkaloids.
    • Synthetic biology approaches may enable the sustainable production of valuable alkaloids.