Abstract
Small, naturally derived molecules are important targets of drug research and development and are models of chemical synthesis. Such molecules accounted for over 60% of the approved drugs and pre-New Drug Application candidates from 1989 to 1995 (1). Of the top 35 ethical drug sales worldwide, drugs derived from natural products accounted for 24% in 2001 and 26% in 2002 (2). Drug research and development is gaining insights from research on natural products, a new trend that combines traditional methods with new techniques in life science. In addition to research seeking to discover natural compounds through use of isolation techniques and structural determination methods, research to identify new sources of natural compounds and classify their functions and research to modify the structures of those compounds by biosynthetic or chemical manipulation will definitely expand the field of natural product chemistry. ...
