Medicinal chemistry
Thousands of medicinal compounds used across the world are derived from plants. To be useful as medicines, we must extract and isolate these active ingredients from the plants. Once isolated, the chemical instrumentation is used to determine the structures of the extracts.
Many active compounds rely on specific enzymes to function effectively in the body. Their unique 3D structures, especially those with optical isomers, react selectively with the specific enzymes. This selective interaction allows the compounds to perform their intended functions effectively.
Living things produce millions of organic compounds, some playing important roles in the health of the organism. This topic examines the following aspects of plant medicines:
- how the medicines are extracted from plants
- how each medicine is isolated and identified
- formation of proteins from amino acids
- the three-dimensional shape of proteins that allows them to act as enzymes
- optical isomers and their impact on medical efficacy
- competitive enzyme inhibitors
This resource revises medicinal chemistry and within this topic there are four key concepts:
To determine if this resource will benefit you, start by answering the following questions:
- How do scientists extract active ingredients from a plant?
- How do scientists isolate each substance extracted from a plant?
- How does medication function in the body together with the enzymes?
- How do the optical isomers of the active compound interact differently with the enzymes?
The answers to these questions are provided on the following pages. Use this resource to refresh your memory, reinforce your understanding of these concepts, and prepare more effectively for university-level learning.