Terpenes (Medicinal Chemistry Lessons From Nature)

Medicinal chemists around the world have been inspired by nature and have successfully extracted chemicals from plants. Research on enzymatic modifications of naturally occurring compounds has played a critical role in the search for biologically active molecules to treat diseases. This book set explores compounds of interest to researchers and clinicians. It presents a comprehensive analysis about the medicinal chemistry (drug design, structure-activity relationships, permeability data, cytotoxicity, appropriate statistical procedures, molecular modelling studies) of different compounds. Each chapter brings contributions from known scientists explaining experimental results which can be translated into clinical practice. Volume 2 presents (1) a detailed overview of the polypharmacology of sesquiterpenes, (2) an interesting journey around the globe of cannabinoids revealing the development of new synthetic Δ9-THC derivatives, (3) the design of specific formulations to overcome the volatility of small sized terpenes-based essential oils, (4) an update on the latest generation of endoperoxides that display antimalarial activity and, finally, (5) a summary of MedChem strategies to fix common issues faced in formulating terpene derivatives (such as low potency and poor solubility). The objective of this book is to fulfil gaps in current knowledge with updated information from recent years. It serves as a guide for academic and professional researchers and clinicians.