Natural Products & Antibiotics

A natural product is a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism that usually has a pharmacological or biological activity for use in drug discovery. Clinically useful drugs which have been isolated from plants include Paclitaxel (Taxol^®) and Artemisinin. Microorganisms produce a large variety of antimicrobial agents. Marine organisms provide a rich source of potent chemicals with inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer activity. Venoms and toxins often specifically interact with a macromolecular target in the body. As a result, they are important tools in studying receptors, ion channels, and enzymes.