Drug Discovery

Download or read book Drug Discovery written by Hany El-Shemy and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2013-01-23 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Natural products are a constant source of potentially active compounds for the treatment of various disorders. The Middle East and tropical regions are believed to have the richest supplies of natural products in the world. Plant derived secondary metabolites have been used by humans to treat acute infections, health disorders and chronic illness for tens of thousands of years. Only during the last 100 years have natural products been largely replaced by synthetic drugs. Estimates of 200 000 natural products in plant species have been revised upward as mass spectrometry techniques have developed. For developing countries the identification and use of endogenous medicinal plants as cures against cancers has become attractive. Books on drug discovery will play vital role in the new era of disease treatment using natural products.