Editorial [Hot Topic:Natural Product Chemistry (Guest Editors: K. Hostettmann)]

The 2006 Natural Product Chemistry issue of Current Organic Chemistry contains four contributions covering different themes. One of these involves methodology, in which Potterat and Hamburger look at approaches to the localization and characterization of bioactivity. New technologies and concepts have been introduced over the last few years and these are the subject of this article. Sensitive and rapid methods are required to accelerate the discovery of new plant-based drugs and provide lead compounds. These methods include HPLC-based bioassays, molecular imprinted polymers, biosensors and chips. Bioassays for the screening of natural products are also presented in a review of natural inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase. This enzyme degrades acetylcholine and as cholinergic deficit is associated with the cognitive impairments observed in Alzheimer's disease, inhibitors of the enzyme are at present actively being sought in order to find new therapeutics for the management of this widespread affliction of elderly people. Many alkaloids with an effect on the enzyme have been discovered but there is also a need to find non-alkaloidal natural products which show inhibition as these might have fewer side effects. Some of the compounds isolated are, in fact, more active than the currently used drugs, such as galanthamine from Galanthus nivalis (Amaryllidaceae). The third contribution is a review by Brahmachari and Gorai of recently reported flavones and flavonols from plant sources during the period 1999 to 2004. Many of these have interesting biological and pharmacological activities. Finally, Gao reviews metabolites from Chinese fungi. Chinese higher fungi, apart from certain species such as Ganoderma lucidum (Ganodermataceae), have received little attention and previous research has been confined mainly to several traditionally-used medicinal higher fungi, from which the number of secondary metabolites so far discovered is only about 150. China is one of the richest resources of fungi in the world, with approximately 10,000 species of higher fungi. Edible and inedible mushrooms represent about 600 and 500 species, respectively, including some 100 toxic species. Higher fungi have a large and diversified variety of secondary metabolites, as exemplified in this review. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all contributors in this volume for the excellent reviews of natural product research that they have produced.