Research and development of new drugs from natural drugs (including structural modification and transformation of lead compounds and total synthesis) is the main purpose of our research on natural medicinal chemistry. It is very difficult to develop new drugs with pure compounds, with long cycle and high cost. Chemotherapy has great side effects, and it is easy to produce drug resistance, which is harmful to human health. However, natural active ingredients from green plant life often have high safety, so drugs and drug extracts based on natural drugs are increasingly popular in the world.
(1) There are many kinds of natural products with novel structures, and the hit rate of pharmacological screening is higher than that of synthetic compounds. New drugs derived from natural lead compounds are expected to be used to treat difficult diseases, so developing new drugs from natural drugs has become a hot research direction. It is predicted that natural drugs and chemicals will be equally divided in the future, and biological drugs are the three major trend drugs.
(2) Some natural active compounds, because of some defects, such as unsatisfactory efficacy, or inevitable side effects, or because the content is too low, resources are scarce, it is difficult to extract from natural raw materials, or because the structure is too complex and synthesis is difficult, so they have no direct development and utilization of their own future. However, natural active ingredients are lead compounds, which are modified or reformed, and eventually develop into new drugs.
For example, a substitute for synthetic morphine-named piperaquine (Demerol), morphine remains in the effective structure (the analgesic effect is the same! ), its addiction is lower than morphine. Another example: cocaine, the active ingredient in coca leaves, has a strong anesthetic effect, but it is toxic and addictive. A local anesthetic, such as procaine, was synthesized through research and design. For another example, the isolated artemisinin with antimalarial activity extracted from Artemisia annua is a heat-labile compound. If it is hydrogenated and methylated to make artemether derivatives, its stability will be obviously improved and its antimalarial activity will be enhanced.
Translation of supplementary questions:
In the world trend of "returning to nature" in 2 1 century, traditional medicine has once again shown great vitality and broad development prospects. Western medicine has changed its original view of Chinese medicine and is interested in Chinese medicine. Japan, Germany, the United States and other western developed countries have paid little attention to it.
The World Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1994 was established in Los Angeles, USA, and some western universities have also set up courses or established research centers for traditional Chinese medicine. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially accepted the compound products of traditional Chinese medicine. This trend provides an unprecedented good opportunity for Chinese medicine to go global. The modernization of traditional Chinese medicine is an inevitable trend, and it must go to the world for the benefit of mankind. Developing Chinese medicine is one of the effective ways for China to win in the medical competition.