Natural products (NP) are defined as all
substances produced by living organisms that include secondary metabolites
defined as compounds produced by biological processes that are not necessary
for primary or energy metabolism, but are important for ecological fitness.
These molecules have been developed by the evolutionary pressure on
biosynthetic pathways which results in a large and exuberant chemical diversity
with potent biological activity with high impact
on chemical biology and pharmaceutical industry.
NPs are obtained from biological diversity
defined in Article 2 of the Convention on Biological Diversity as “The
variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia,
terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes
of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species
and of ecosystems”.
The prospective study of biodiversity looking
for applications in agriculture, industry and medicine; known as
bioprospecting, is defined as the process of looking for in natural sources new
promising genetic resources and bioactive compounds as well as organisms with
biotechnological uses.
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