For the rest of July, Nature Chemical Biology is offering free access to about ten articles on research and training in natural products.
Investigations into natural products have recently regained prominence with the increasing understanding of their biological significance and increasing recognition of the origin and function of their structural diversity. This issue highlights some of the major questions and advances in natural products research, from recent synthetic approaches to access complicated natural products to a new educational program which utilizes natural products as a basis for discovery-based research.
One article addresses how the molecular promiscuity of plants might provide an evolutionary advantage, another discusses an undergraduate training program in drug discovery from endophytic fungi (fungi that grow on plants), and a third discusses the regulatory challenges in gaining approval for multi-component botanical therapeutics (MCBTs or herbal mixtures).
Some great free content from Nature Journals, for a limited time.
Everyone should take advantage of this limited access to Nature Chemical Biology. Their articles highlight various natural medicines that have strong research based evidence supporting their efficacy. Many consumers, as well as physicians, have turned a more curious eye to complementary medicines in recent years, and for good reason. Many natural products offer the same benefit as standard medications without as many side effects.
Elizabeth Henry
Natural Standard Research Collaboration
www.naturalstandard.com