Modern pharmacognosy: Connecting biology and chemistry

Abstract

In many countries today, the number of students selecting chemistry for higher studies is decreasing. At the same time, interest in the environmental aspects of chemistry, green chemistry, and sustainable use of natural products is increasing among the young generation of students. By modernizing and renewing a venerable proven science, pharmacognosy would have a strategic position to connect biology and chemistry. This multidisciplinary subject is important for discovery of novel and unique molecules with drug potential, and for revealing unknown targets, by studying evolutionary structure-activity optimization in nature. In this paper, the overall aim and strategies of our research are presented and exemplified by three different research projects.Natural products are involved in scientific issues important for a sustainable society, and a multidisciplinary subject such as pharmacognosy can, therefore, be useful in increasing future interest in both chemistry and biology.Keywords: pharmacognosy; prediction of selection; cyclotides; cytoxicity; marine sponges; antifouling.The decrease in the number of students pursuing higher studies in chemistry is an international trend. In a recent editorial in Science, education in chemistry and other science subjects was discussed, with emphasis on the situation in the United States [1]. It was noted that the educational methods were oldfashioned and also, that the number of students in each class was very high. As a result, many students did not pursue their studies in subjects like chemistry. At the same time, the importance of the environment, green chemistry, and the sustainable use of natural products is evident in the younger generation of students.It is obvious that something must be done to increase interest in the scientific disciplines, to enable us to handle the complexity and number of science-based problems in the future. In the university setting, educational programs need to be developed in many different ways. One way would be to blend different disciplines and teach about complex questions in society in a multidisciplinary way and in this way revitalize scientific education. By using such a holistic approach, the science teaching would probably be more exciting for students. In fact, this is a proven concept: During the 18 th century, the famous Swedish scientist Linnaeus used a holistic approach in his scientific work and teaching. Linnaeus even wrote numerous theses for dissertations in different disciplines, including interdisciplinary works such as Medicamenta graveolentia (Drugs with a strong smell), Sapor medicamentorum (The taste of drugs),

Natural products in modern life science

“…Bruhn and Bohlin 1997; Bohlin et al 2007). The field of systems biology, which lies in line with this approach, is an integrated way of studying biological systems using several new technologies such as genomics with transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics.…”

From Pharmacognosia to DNA-Based Medicinal Plant Authentication – Pharmacognosy through the Centuries

“…As another researcher in the field famously stated "Jeder Fortschritt in den Methoden ist auch ein Fortschritt in der Wissenschaft" (Egon Stahl: 'Every progress in methods also is a progress in science'), over the last two hundred years the approaches and methods in this field have changed dramatically and continue to do so [6]. There have been numerous reviews assessing specific developments in this field of research (e.g., [6][7][8], which has also been covered in a wide range of textbooks, e.g., Trease and Evanʼs Pharmacognosy [9] and [10][11][12] as well as, for example, German language textbooks such as [13,14]).…”

Pharmacognostic Studies and Physico-Chemical Profile of Melissa Parviflora Benth

“…Pharmacognosy has always been a translational or multidisciplinary science, most recently emphasized in the discussion of modern pharmacognosy, as described by Bohlin and co-workers [1]. According to World Health Organization (WHO) the macroscopic and microscopic description of a medicinal plant is the first step towards establishing its identity and purity and should be carried out before any tests are undertaken [2].…”