Bioactive Constituents from Natural Products
Summary
Natural products represent a vast reservoir of bioactive constituents with diverse chemical structures and profound biological effects. These compounds, including alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids and lignans, are biosynthesised by plants, fungi and microorganisms as part of ecological interactions. Advances in extraction and analytical techniques have unveiled new sources of antioxidants capable of neutralising free radicals, enzyme inhibitors that modulate metabolic pathways and antimicrobial agents targeting pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Structural characterisation through chromatography and spectrometry has clarified the distribution of volatile and non-volatile constituents, facilitating structure–activity correlations. The global significance of this field lies in the development of novel therapeutics for chronic diseases, sustainable agricultural fungicides and natural preservatives for food systems. Integrating phytochemical screening with in vitro and in silico assays accelerates the discovery pipeline, bridging traditional knowledge with modern drug development.
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Bioactive Constituents from Natural Products publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in bioactive constituents from natural products across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Alkaloid: A naturally occurring nitrogenous compound, often with significant pharmacological activity.
Terpenoid: A large class of organic chemicals derived from isoprene units, commonly exhibiting aromatic and bioactive properties.
Lignan: A type of phenylpropanoid dimer, known for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Flavonoid: A polyphenolic compound in plants, contributing to antioxidant and enzyme-inhibitory functions.
GC-MS: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, an analytical technique for separating and identifying volatile compounds.
UPLC-MS: Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, a high-resolution method for profiling non-volatile constituents.
References
- A Study of the Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Michelia macclurei Dandy Heartwood: New Sources of Natural Antioxidants, Enzyme Inhibitors and Bacterial Inhibitors. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- Comparison of Composition, Free-Radical-Scavenging Capacity, and Antibiosis of Fresh and Dry Leave Aqueous Extract from Michelia shiluensis. Molecules (2023).
- Antifungal Sesquiterpenoids from Michelia formosana Leaf Essential Oil against Wood-Rotting Fungi. Molecules (2022).
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