Semisynthesis, or partial chemical synthesis, is a type of chemical synthesis that uses chemical compounds isolated from natural sources (such as microbial cell cultures or plant material) as the starting materials to produce novel compounds with distinct chemical and medicinal properties. The novel compounds generally have a high molecular weight or a complex molecular structure, more so than those produced by total synthesis from simple starting materials. Semisynthesis is a means of preparing many medicines more cheaply than by total synthesis since fewer chemical steps are necessary.
Drugs derived from natural sources are usually produced by isolation from the natural source or, as described here, by semisynthesis from such an isolated agent. From the viewpoint of chemical synthesis, living organisms are remarkable chemical factories that can easily produce structurally-complex chemical compounds by biosynthesis. In contrast, engineered chemical synthesis is necessarily simpler, with a lower chemical diversity in each reaction, than the incredibly-diverse biosynthesis pathways that are crucial to life.
As a result, certain functional groups are much easier to prepare by engineered synthesis than others, such as acetylation, in which certain biosynthetic pathways can generate groups and structures with minimal economic input that would be prohibitive via total synthesis.
Plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria are all used as sources for those tricky precursor molecules, including the use of bioreactors at the meeting point between engineered and biological chemical synthesis.
Semisynthesis, when it is used in drug discovery, aims to retain the sought-after medicinal activity while other molecule characteristics are altered, such as those that affect its adverse events or its oral bioavailability in a few chemical steps. In that regard, semisynthesis stands in contrast with the approach of total synthesis, whose aim is to arrive at a target molecule from low-molecular-weight, inexpensive starting materials, often petrochemicals or minerals.
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A fungus (: fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from the other eukaryotic kingdoms, which, by one traditional classification, includes Plantae, Animalia, Protozoa, and Chromista. A characteristic that places fungi in a different kingdom from plants, bacteria, and some protists is chitin in their cell walls.
A natural product is a natural compound or substance produced by a living organism—that is, found in nature. In the broadest sense, natural products include any substance produced by life. Natural products can also be prepared by chemical synthesis (both semisynthesis and total synthesis) and have played a central role in the development of the field of organic chemistry by providing challenging synthetic targets.
Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the intentional construction of organic compounds. Organic molecules are often more complex than inorganic compounds, and their synthesis has developed into one of the most important branches of organic chemistry. There are several main areas of research within the general area of organic synthesis: total synthesis, semisynthesis, and methodology.
La première partie du cours décrit les méthodes classiques de synthèse asymétrique. La seconde partie du cours traite des stratégies de rétrosynthèse basées sur l'approche par disconnection.
The goal of this course is to instruct the student how fundamental scientific knowledge, acquired through the study of fundamental disciplines, including biochemistry, genetics, pharmacology, physiolo
A peptide was developed that binds to calprotectin, a marker of major inflammatory disorders, and found to be suited for diagnostic tests. The use of synthetic peptides in assays is of great interest due to their high precision, robustness and low price. C ...
By taking a journey through the events that happened during Professor David A. Evans' lifetime in the context of chemical synthesis and drug discovery, this in-focus article reflects upon Professor Evans' lifelong scientific and padegogical impacts on the ...
AMER CHEMICAL SOC2022
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The art of natural product total synthesis is closely associated with two major determinants: the development/application of novel chemical reactions and the innovation in strategic use of classic organic reactions. While purposely seeking/applying a new s ...