Role of Medicinal Chemistry

Medicinal chemistry is the branch of science concerned with the discovery and development of new medicinal compounds, as well as their transformation into usable medicines. Synthesis of new compounds, studies of the relationships between the structure of natural or synthetic compounds and their biological activities, elucidation of their interactions with various types of receptors, including enzymes and DNA, determination of their absorption, transport, and distribution properties, and studies of the metabolic transformations of these chemicals into other chemicals are all examples of what is involved.

Medicinal chemistry has been practiced for thousands of years in its most basic form. Chewing herbs, berries, roots, and barks has been used to find treatments for ailments. Although some of these early therapeutic studies were highly effective, the active elements of these natural sources were not discovered until the last century. The therapeutic properties of diverse plant combinations were mentioned in the oldest written documents of Chinese, Indian, South American, and Mediterranean societies. Few diseases would be treated today if drug research was done the same way it was in ancient times. Natural products account for a minor portion of the present medicine market. When a natural product is discovered to be active, it is usually chemically changed to improve its qualities. Since the late 1940s, developments in synthesis and separation procedures, as well as biochemical tools, have made it possible to take a more rational approach to drug discovery, one that includes the aspect of design. 

What Does a Medicinal Chemist Do on a Day to Day Basis?

So, how does a medicinal chemist spend a typical day? Well, that depends entirely on the type of work being done. The majority of medicinal chemists operate in laboratories, however the types of analytical equipment required to separate and identify molecules might vary greatly.

Collaboration with scientists from various fields is an important part of medicinal chemistry. A medicinal chemist, for example, may send their medication sample(s) to a biologist after purifying it to assess how well it operates in the body. In the subject of medicinal chemistry, keep in mind that biologists and chemists collaborate closely.

An Overview of Medicinal Chemistry Research

The process of studying and learning about substances is known as research. Medicinal chemists perform research on a variety of themes, which is usually done as a project. Let’s look at two different forms of research that make use of medicinal chemistry.

Plant Chemistry 

During the drug research and development phase of medicinal chemistry, plants can be quite useful. Plants have long been utilized as therapeutic agents for a number of ailments, including colds and diseases. Researchers in medicinal chemistry strive to figure out how various plant qualities might be employed as a therapeutic agent to promote overall health and well-being.

Understanding the beneficial medical effects of plants on human health has had a huge impact on drug development. Opium, a natural substance present in the poppy seed plant, has, for example, been utilized since antiquity. Medicinal chemists found that morphine could be extracted from this plant-based chemical at the turn of the nineteenth century, allowing them to more successfully cure people’s aches and pains.

The research on milk thistle is another illustration of the significance of plant-based medicinal chemistry. For many years, this herb has been used as a treatment to treat disorders of the liver, kidneys, and gallbladder. Milk thistle has been found to possess a flavonoid, according to research. Flavonoids are a type of chemical that plants produce. Flavonoids may contribute to milk thistle’s powerful medical value in healing liver damage, according to medicinal chemistry study

Conclusion 

We conclude that Chemistry has made significant contributions to health care. Chemical analysis and synthesis of novel chemicals are required in the creation of new medications. Many contemporary television shows promote the numerous new medications developed by chemists.