Natural Products in Drug Discovery: An Overview of Their Pharmacological Potential

Abstract

As one of its identifying features, natural herbaceous materials have been a rich source of bioactive compounds contributing greatly to the diversity of pharmacology. In this review, the historical significance, current progress, and future possibilities for natural products in drug development are discussed. Key classes of natural compounds, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and polyketides, have produced drugs with antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects alike approved by the FDA. Advances in analytical techniques, high throughput screening and synthetic biology have made it easier to identify and optimize these natural bases. Artificial Intelligence (AI) aided drug discovery and omics technology integrated with natural product libraries has sped up the process of drug development. Even so, bioavailability is low, structures are complex and supply must be sustainable. These are the major barriers preventing natural products from finding wider acceptance. Reflecting upon recent breakthroughs in natural product-based drug discovery, this review spotlights anti-resistance to antibiotics successes, as well as those from treating cancer or neurodegenerative diseases. In future work, efforts should be made to scale up biotechnological production, explore cross-disciplinary collaborations and overcome biopharmaceutical difficulties fully tapping the potential of natural compounds for therapy.